By Andre La Guardi
Post-secondary students are hitting the books as the fall semester comes to a close.
Students at the University of Manitoba and The University of Winnipeg get time off during fall reading weeks. However, Red River College students don’t get the same seven-day break – and they won’t in the near future.
Conor Lloyd, the College’s public relations director, said the College has no plans to make a second reading week.
“Due to the nature of our academic calendar and the specific industry requirements for many of our programs, most notably our apprenticeship, healthcare, and civil programs, the College isn’t able to introduce a fall break,” Lloyd said.
Mariah Arceo, 26, is a second-year Digital Media Design student.
“I feel like as a full-time student, a week break would be nice because it gets tiring,” Arceo said. “It would benefit me creatively if I had a break from classes.”
Isabelle Froese, 21, is a first-year Digital Media Design student.
“I think reading week in fall would be good for students, especially programs with exams and semester finals,” Froese said.
The University of Winnipeg started fall reading weeks to prevent the onset of mental illness, according to The University of Winnipeg Students’ Association’s website. The UWSA claims the week lets students recharge and decompress, which can reduce anxiety.
The University of Manitoba followed suit for similar reasons – it added fall reading week “to address increased stress that students reported during fall terms,” according to UM Today.
Red River College holds Thrive Week during the school year to support students’ mental health. During this semester’s Thrive Week, students could pet therapy dogs and try yoga and mindfulness courses, among other things.
RRC students get a reading week in February. In 2020, reading week will last from Monday, Feb. 17 to Friday, Feb. 21.
