Over the summer, before school started, I heard a lot of complaints about the August 19^th start to the school year. Girls desperately wanted that last week of summer vacation, and they felt that the new summer break was far too short. What many students failed to remember, however, was that this new schedule change was in place for a reason, not just because the school wants us to be miserable. Because we start classes a week earlier, we have room to have finals first semester, before winter break. Over my winter breaks at Marymount, I have often developed a sense of underlying anxiety, wondering if I should start preparing for finals, or if I should wait. Moreover, I often feel that I forget a lot of the information I need to know, and spend a lot of time in January trying to refresh my memory. Winter break is supposed to be a time where students can spend quality time with family and friends, and celebrate the holidays without any stress. The whole point of a vacation is to give our minds a break from all the chaos and stress we go through during the school year. And with the New Year wrapping up the break, it’s a great time to reflect on the past year, and make goals for the future. This year, we will finally have the break we have all been waiting for!