No days off in October: good or bad?

By Kate Harris,

HUB Staff Writer–

 

As we enter our second full month of school, and hit our stride, we also become aware to the fact that we have no holidays off in October.

 

Unlike November and December, October has no holidays off, and only the small relief of articulation day and homecoming. The week of Oct. 15 has a rally schedule day, articulation day and a half day for homecoming.

 

With homecoming around the corner, and the school littered with posters that tell you about spirit week and door decorating, do students really even notice the effect of no days off?

 

Senior Malia Fujisawa says, “It doesn’t really matter to me, because the school year just started and so I don’t really expect any breaks. Plus, we have Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks coming up.”

 

But is having no days off in October beneficial? Rebecca Ambrose, an Associate Professor in UC Davis’ School of Education thinks so.

 

“I know many teachers who think that October is the best month for learning because they can establish a routine, and students develop appropriate schedules to study.”

 

Sophomore Dominique Sommer agrees, and also says she believes it will benefit her grades.

 

“It doesn’t really effect my grades because I can focus and get more work done. If anything, it helps for before the November holidays and I can learn more.”

 

Kristin Lagatutta, Head of Developmental Psychology at UCD, thinks that it does help them focus. “Students generally learn best when they distribute their studying evenly over several days, versus cramming the information in all at once.”

 

With two weeks of October already behind us, and homecoming week around the corner, October will be over before we know it, even with no days off. And just think, Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks are coming up quickly.