If thinking you’re being handed a $100 bill but only receiving $10 is a familiar feeling, you are probably a UofT student. That $100 bill is a legitimate fall reading week, and what you end up getting is a two-day reading break. UofT provides a two-day break in the fall semester, landing on November 9 and 10 this year, and a week-long break in the winter semester. Students often feel that they are being treated unfairly, and cheated of valuable time devoted to their studies. Recently, the University of Toronto Students’ Union and the Arts & Science Students’ Union collected student votes via referendum asking that the administration consider extending the fall break to a full week.
If administration approves a five day reading week, students can expect to see the extension in the fall semester of 2016. For the break to become a possibility, Orientation Week will have to be moved up before Labour Day to preserve the full number of teaching and exam days.
UofT is highly ranked among universities nationally and internationally, creating a very high-stress environment and a heavy workload for most students. Nevertheless, many Canadian universities implement weeklong reading breaks in both semesters, including Ryerson, York, and even UofT’s Scarborough and Mississauga campuses.
A reading week allows time for students to de-stress and absorb the material taught in lectures. From the student’s perspective, two days is not enough time to get caught up on classes, de-stress, and complete assignments. Many students will use their time exclusively on getting caught up on their classes.
Second-year Ryerson student Brad Gold related his experience with fall reading week, stating “as a student in creative industries, I really benefitted from having a full week off from classes. I took the time to explore the city with my camera and build my photography portfolio. And the extra time I had, I used to get caught up and ask questions on concepts that I didn’t get at first, so when I returned from the break, I fully understood all the material being taught.”
Reading weeks provide students with extra time that allows for academic and personal growth, benefitting their studies. Without this full week for catching up, students are working under much more pressure and possibly not to their full potential.
