How to take advantage of the upcoming reading break
By Cassie Weiss, Features Editor
Reading break is fast approaching, and if you are anything like me, the last thing you want to
think about on your week off is school. I was always curious as to why reading break was placed
so early in the semester — especially with the University of Calgary not having theirs until mid-
November — but this year, I am grateful.
With classes being online this semester, continuing from the last-minute switch last winter,
things have felt a lot more overwhelming. While most of us had classmates and friends to spend
our typical class breaks with, now we just have the computer screen and our (sometimes) empty
homes.
Assignment scheduling has become more rigorous and attention spans are waning slowly as
students do their absolute best to pay attention to the talking circles on the Google Meets screen.
Cue reading break, blessing us with its mid-October arrival. Personally, I’m glad Mount Royal
University (MRU) students don’t have to wait until November.
I understand there is some expectation to work on assignments and readings over the break —
after all, it does have the word “reading” right in it. But personally, I also think it’s important to
take the other word in the title seriously and plan a well-earned break.
Plane travel is frowned upon during the pandemic, but there is a ton to be said about getting in a
car with your significant other or closest friends and getting the heck out of dodge for a few
days.
Now, I know we are all struggling students, but the best part about reading break being in the
middle of October is that the upcoming Christmas rush hasn’t quite hit the hotels around. Finding
a cheap room is quite easy to do, and if that still doesn’t fit the budget, there are still many
campgrounds that are open late into the season.
The final days of autumn can be quite chilly, but lay down the back seats, pile the car with
blankets and a few sleeping bags and cuddle up with the mountains as the backdrop. No cell
service, no school work — just you and the crisp autumn air.
Of course, not everyone has the option to drive out of the city. A break can simply mean packing
a picnic and heading to Fish Creek or Nose Hill Park and just spending the day exploring.
There is still peace in the middle of the city, and I promise anyone can find it if they let go of the
material possessions humans are always glued to.
MRU’s reading break takes place from Oct. 12 to Oct. 16. Book time off for yourself — your
mental health will thank you.
