The NDB community went on fall break from October 13 through 16, the first long break of the 2022-2023 school year.

Freshmen and seniors got an extra day of rest and relaxation on October 12, as the sophomores and juniors attended school to take the PSAT. The PSAT/NMSQT exam was offered at NDB on October 12, along with many other high schools across the nation. Sophomores and juniors take the exam in the hopes of achieving a score that qualifies them for a National Merit Scholarship.

“Fall break was pretty relaxing besides the PSAT,” said sophomore Ava Baldi. “Although it was not as hard as I had expected, it was still challenging.”

For these students, the practice test is a trial run for standardized exams in the college admissions process and helps students identify their testing strengths.

The break officially started for all students on October 13, and this was a time for many NDB community members to spend with their family and friends. Some students stayed at home while others took these days to travel.

Junior Mallory Moore took advantage of the break by traveling to Lake Tahoe with family.

“It was nice to relax and spend time with family in Tahoe, and to take a break from stress and schoolwork,” said Moore.

“Especially after taking the PSAT, I enjoyed having a long break to unwind before heading back into school.”

This break also provided upperclassmen with a great opportunity to visit colleges and take campus tours. As college application season ramps up, seniors must begin to narrow down their college lists and officially decide which schools they will be applying to. Visiting a campus in-person is one of the best opportunities for prospective college students to decide where they want to further their education and where they can see themselves living for the next four years.

Senior Brooke Anderson spent her time off in Boston, Massachusetts, looking at colleges with her family.

“I used the fall break to go to Boston to look at colleges, mainly to revisit Northeastern to see if I want to [apply] Early Decision or not,” said Anderson. “I visited during Intersession, but I needed to confirm that I really liked it, so I know if I want to [apply] ED. I also visited Boston University, which I really liked as well. I got to explore the city of Boston, which made me want to go to school there more.”

Seniors who stayed at home took this time off to work on college applications. For those who are applying Early Action or Early Decision to any schools, the November 1 deadline is quickly approaching.

For all students, the four to five day break provided time to catch up on schoolwork and take much-needed time to relax. Students’ next day off will be November 11 in observance of Veteran’s Day, with Thanksgiving Break following just two weeks later.