Once again, final exams are coming up. A time of cramming, worrying and complete chaos for unprepared students is near. Fortunately, these will be my last final exams of high school, and I’m thrilled. But for those non-seniors out there, I do feel bad. I’ve always thought that first semester finals were worse than second semester.

See, the unfortunate thing about first semester finals is that they occur two weeks after a two-week break. In the view of the school, this gives us two weeks to study while celebrating the holidays. But in the mind of the average student, this is a fortnight of forgetting everything.

I like winter break because it’s just that – a break from school work. Being able to take two weeks off to calm down, recharge and spend quality time with my family are things that I cherish. My teachers need time off, too, and on the Friday before we leave, the atmosphere in the school is so excited that you can’t help but smile.