December 20, 2024, at 10:30 am marked the start of Notre Dame’s winter break. This break was two and a half weeks long and many students traveled to visit family, for vacation, and to celebrate the new year. On Tuesday, January 7, students were back to school and classes started back up. Transitioning from a long winter break into the new school year can always be a difficult transition and to make it a little easier students had a late start on Tuesday.
Some things that make transitioning into the new break easier are starting to get your sleep schedule right a couple of days before, organizing school supplies, practicing the school routine, and seeing friends from school adjust to seeing them once again.
It can always be hard to get back into the school routine so using these tips can help the transition.
Freshman, Gia Hobsion, describes that going back to school after break was a tough transition, “I am tired and shortly want it to be break again.” Hobson also adds that she has new school year goals that she is looking forward to completing, “I want to get better grades and have no missing assignments.” Hobson adds that she has another goal, “I want to stop procrastinating my work and eat healthier for the new year.”
Junior Mary Gooch also describes that going from winter break into school was difficult she states that her break went well though, “My break was great, I went to Tahoe and went skiing a lot.” Gooch adds that she has new goals for the new year, “I want to start going to the gym and eating healthier.” She states her excitement for the last semester, “I am excited for the last semester and also am excited for aquacades to come.”
Transitioning back to school mode after winter break can be difficult because it involves a significant shift in routine, often including disrupted sleep schedules, less structured data, and a change in social dynamics, making it hard to readjust to the demands of academics and regular class schedules after a period of relaxed holiday time with family and friends.
![“I would say first thing is staying warm…keeping to a consistent sleep schedule because it's easy to start to want to fall asleep as soon as it gets dark and that just takes motivation out of otherwise, productive times of the day. I would say the biggest thing is [to] just be conscious of morale and motivation and why it's weighing, and [to] confront those challenges head on," History Teacher Jonathan Tomczak says on easing back into S2.](https://thendbcatalyst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/unnamed.png)
