Since the College established a six-week winter interim period last year, students have found creative ways to spend their extended break, from traveling and interning internationally to catching up on sleep.
The Rockefeller Center created the Global Policy Leadership course, which culminates in a three-week trip to India. "Economic Reform in India" will focus on the country's dynamic government-driven economic reforms.
Students will take what they learned through readings and discussions during the term and apply them on the field. Once in India, students will meet with policy leaders and experts to gain greater insight into issues and identify potential areas for reform.
"I could be perfectly happy staying at home and relaxing there, but I thought it'd be a really nice opportunity to learn a lot," said Ayushi Narayan '14, a student in the class. "I've realized that you can learn a lot by actually being in the country and in a new place, and you can grow so much as a person as a result of that."
Narayan will also visit family members in India, who she has not seen since high school.
"I haven't seen some of my family in a long time, and the long break is a great opportunity to make my way halfway across the world," Narayan said.
The Nicaragua Cross Cultural Education and Service Program, sponsored by the Tucker Foundation, allows undergraduate students, medical professionals and medical students to go to Nicaragua and participate in outreach programs.
The group will be divided into a development team, which will continue a water-well project initiated last year and a community health team, which will operate a health clinic in a small municipality.
Although the work they do has tangible benefits for the community, part of the experience is an exposure to a different culture, student program director Janice Yip '15 said.
"Because we're limited in the amount of time we can spend there, a lot of it is about learning about Nicaraguans and their culture and expanding my personal world view," Yip said.
Students who choose not to participate in a College-sponsored program have found other ways to stay busy during winter break.
Marisa Werner '16 is traveling to Italy for three weeks and interning at a pasta company near Naples. A romance languages major, she hopes to improve her Italian and gain exposure to European business culture.
"I'm really excited about my internship because it's a way for me to gain fluency in the language and exposure to the culture in general," Werner said. "In Europe, when you're conducting business, there are certain cultures and unwritten rules that you have to respect, and if you haven't worked or gone to school there you're not aware that they exist."
While many students spend the break relaxing or traveling, others choose to stay on campus. Many winter season athletes, including members of the men's and women's basketball teams, remain in Hanover during this time, since the break is in the heart of their season.
"We don't get as much time because we're in season and we're on our grind, continuing to play against the non-conference teams and gearing up towards conference play," basketball player Tyler Melville '14 said.
The team can get as few as three or four days off during break, and some members are required to travel on Christmas to return in time for practices.
"It can get rough at times, but if you're committed to the sport and it's what you love, then you do what you have to do," Melville said.
While many students seek jobs and other opportunities to stay busy, others said they still value rest during the break.
"I like to keep it simple relaxing at home and enjoying the benefits of a quarter system," Adam Hann '15 said.
