Christmas Holidays For Students

So i have three weeks off from university during the holidays. Seeing as my terms are 10 weeks long it is great to have the three weeks to be able to see friends and family. However... this is made impossible due to the amount of work that we are given over this break.

Most people have exams in January, straight after christmas. Many of my friends even have an exam on the monday our term starts at 9.15! As for me, i have four essays to write, all of which must be 2000 words and are worth 20% of my entire degree... (yes, i should be writing them instead of this partially pointless blog - it's called procrastination..). Due to these exams and essays our christmas holidays are not used as a time to relax and have a break, they are a time to get stressed about work...

I don't know about you, but this seems to go through my head: "If i don't do well in these exams, i'll fail my degree, then i won't be able to get a good job, then i won't have any money, then i won't be able to move out of home... ever... or i'll be in a lot of debt..." and so on...

I know non-students think we have nothing to complain about, we have long holidays and no worries... but i do not think that this is the case. Sure, when you have a full time job you don't have as much holiday or free time... BUT when you DO have that free time, it's just that, FREE time. Whereas when we have free time it is nothing of the sort. Instead it is a time to get more stressed and, to make matters worse, in the christmas holidays we turn to comfort eating, which never ends well... I can't count the number of my parents friends who have said to me "Oh, you're back from uni! that must be great, a nice long break, it's alright for some..." at which i have to reply "well.. yes, i am back... but i do have four essays of which count for 20% of my degree. But yes, you are right, it's alright for some.." through gritted teeth.

So, instead of coming out of the christmas holidays relaxed and detoxed, we are in fact stressed and (in my case) a great deal heavier due to the consumption of ridiculous amounts of food. And then, when we do get back it's not like we have any more of a break, it's straight back into 9.15 starts and lectures throughout the day.

Overall, i just want to get the point across that although students do have long holidays, this does not mean that they are relaxing and full of fun. I know it sounds bad, but i can't wait to have a job and never have to take an exam ever again. However i can't promise that at some point in the future i won't look at students and think "it's alright for some...".