Students With No Friday Classes Beg for Extra Mental Health Day

Last fall, Texas A&M University administration announced the cancellation of spring break, with an added day off in March to accommodate students’ mental health. With this semester’s lack of a spring break, many students are beginning to feel the added pressures of burnout. Compounded by the difficulties of online learning, this burnout effect is running rampant throughout the student body of Texas A&M University—particularly students with no Friday classes.

“I haven’t had Friday classes since my first semester of freshman year, but I still deserve mental health days as much as my friends that have classes Monday through Friday,” said senior marketing major Ellie Phan. This sentiment was echoed by other students with no Friday classes.

Students with Friday classes were quick to point out that some of their peers are getting a mental health day every week. “My friend opted out of Friday classes so she could work, but I haven’t seen her at work since the semester began,” said junior biomedical sciences major Tariq Robbins. “She brings up how lucky she is to not have Friday classes in every conversation.”

It seems clear that the university administration will not budge on the current academic calendar. Although all students are deserving of a break due to the events of the past year, those with no Friday classes remain at the forefront of student mental health concerns due to their taxing schedules.

 

— Crygon