Sheila Lockwood
Contributing Writer
After eight grueling weeks of fall quarter, the primary thing on the mind of many UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) students is getting out of Isla Vista as soon as possible for Thanksgiving. The university, however, has another idea. The UCSB academic calendar lists only Thursday (Thanksgiving) and Friday as a holiday for students. While these days run up against the weekend, the current academic calendar creates a disadvantage for students who do not live within a short distance from campus. For students living in other parts of the state or country, this short break is not ideal, as many will spend so much time and money traveling to only spend the equivalent of a long weekend at home and then immediately return for classes on Monday. Visiting family and friends for Thanksgiving is a highlight for many students on campus, so, despite the time and money it may cost to travel, it’s worth it.
Across campus, the consensus among students is that they should leave early, even if it means skipping class. Unless some mandatory exam or lab is happening between Monday and Wednesday, most people are either planning on leaving early or have already left. Even some professors and teaching assistants recognize this practice, choosing to either cancel classes during those few days before Thanksgiving or hold them remotely.
Our forever rival to the north, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), despite also being on the quarter system, has the entire week off for Thanksgiving break. The primary difference between the UCSB and Cal Poly quarter system schedule is that, during our week zero, Cal Poly has the full week dedicated to class while UCSB only has classes on Thursday and Friday.
The current system of only having classes on Thursday and Friday of week zero isn’t even productive for many students. Any scheduled sections for those days are canceled, since students most likely haven’t even been to the adjoining lecture yet. Additionally, students typically try to avoid taking Friday classes if they can. With this in mind, some students, like myself, only attend one or two lectures on Thursday.
Having only two days of classes during week zero is a waste of time for students. Starting week zero on Monday would be more beneficial so students can have a full week of classes and figure out which ones they intend to stay enrolled in. If week zero did start on a Monday, we would still have 49 days of instruction, which has been the historical amount for over a decade.
By not having a full week off for Thanksgiving, students are missing out on instructional dates that should have been placed earlier in the quarter rather than at a time when many are already planning on going home for the holidays. The UCSB administration should consider making week zero a full week of instruction, giving students the entirety of Thanksgiving week as break, making things easier for both students and faculty.