This past year has no doubt been difficult for everyone. At some point or another, we have all had to endure some sort of struggle, whether big or small. School has been drastically different, we are being more distant both literally and figuratively with our peers and the future seems so uncertain considering everything that has happened. But, I am someone who tries to be more optimistic than not, someone who looks at the silver lining of things. When it comes to the past calendar year and the coming two month break here at UNI, I see a great opportunity for rejuvenation and growth.

Aside from summers, we as students have never had a break quite as long as the one that we are about to have beginning in about a week or so. The two months off that we will have is a fantastic opportunity for us to refresh our minds and clear our headspace, while gaining new perspectives on the world.

The routines of our day-to-day life in college can oftentimes lead us to go through the motions and become complacent with everything, as most of us are probably guilty of doing from time to time. But this two month break could be exactly what we all needed to recoup. We should take this time to analyze how this past semester went and what we can do to make sure this next term is even better, considering the circumstances.

Think of this past semester as a trial run: no one had ever dealt with a school year quite like this before, and now that we have it under our belt we now know how to tackle the situation in the spring semester. Look at what worked for you, and what didn’t. For example, I discovered that I actually thrive being socially distance (for limited periods of time) because I keep my focus on what I need to get done and don’t have the distractions that constantly being around people can bring. This of course works for me, but not everyone is the same. Take this coming break to look at what worked for you in this past semester, and try to utilize those techniques for the next semester.

Another thing that we should do during break is re-connect with our friends and family. Since break is going to be for a longer period of time, we should make the most of the time we’ve been given to spend it with the ones closest to us. Being apart from the people closest to us in our lives no doubt is difficult, but now we have a chance to spend time together with the people that mean the most to us. Being caught up in our UNI routine has probably led a lot of us to not be as assertive in the relationships of our friends and family back home, so we should use this extended period of time to spend it with the people closest to us in our lives.

The final thing I think that us college students should try to do with our break is to clear our minds. I have found that going home for a longer period of time has re-energized my mental health and de-fogged my mind.

Sort of like a mini vacation, being in a different setting with different people can do wonders for the mental health and well-being of oneself. I will oftentimes come back to school with a fresh perspective or mentality on things being given to me from spending time with loved ones back home. Taking this new approach back to campus in the spring can do wonders for not only oneself, but for the overall well-being of the campus community.

Using this time ahead of us can be a wonderful thing for all of us if we understand the benefits that can come from it. Each person has their own approach and their own methods that work for them, so do your best to find whatever works for you.

Regardless of what that is, we should see this upcoming break as a great opportunity to grow ourselves and to see a light at the end of the tunnel.