California Lutheran University should schedule breaks more frequently throughout the academic year.
Over Thanksgiving, I will be home with my family enjoying peace, relaxation and time away from my noisy residence hall and Ullman Dining. However, there are many other students who won’t get the same opportunity.
While a quick visit home is doable for commuter and local resident students, shorter visits are nearly impossible for others, including those with further commutes, international and out-of-state students.
According to traditional undergraduate enrollment data from fall 2025, 57% of Cal Lutheran students live on campus. Additionally, there are 257 out-of-state students and 75 international students enrolled this semester.
Despite the challenges, Cal Lutheran has made small adjustments to its academic calendar over the years. According to the 2025-26 undergraduate academic calendar, students only received a total of five days off without classes throughout the whole fall semester, including Thanksgiving Holiday.
“We have a Fall Holiday in October, which many schools don’t,” said Maria Kohnke, associate vice president of Academic Services and Registrar. “It was originally something the faculty wanted, to give students a chance to rest, because of how long it is from the start of the semester to Thanksgiving.”
Fall Holiday is a one-day pause from academic classes, typically during the first week of October.
Kohnke explained that creating each academic calendar is a complex process requiring compliance with federal law and must be done years in advance.
“The academic calendar is set each year, and we do a five-year tentative calendar,” Kohnke said. “There are federal regulations we have to hit in terms of how many days of instruction and contact hours.”
Kohnke said students’ opinions about the current break schedule vary widely. “Some students feel the winter break between fall and spring is too long, others feel it’s too short,” Kohnke said. “I’ve gotten complaints on both ends. There’s never a perfect answer.”
While creating a calendar is a difficult task for all schools, Pepperdine University has perhaps found a solution. The faculty and administrators at Pepperdine design their academic calendar in a way that is conducive to resident students who live far away.
Pepperdine’s 2025 academic fall semes- ter began Aug. 18, one week before Cal Lutheran. Students were given a four-day fall break from Friday, Oct. 10 to Monday, Oct. 13. Additionally, they received a five- day Thanksgiving break from Monday, Oct. 24 to Friday, Nov. 28.
According to a 2024 study published in the National Institute of Medicine, “depression and anxiety symptoms significantly decreased during the vacation compared to the school period.”
The study also found that anxiety symptoms, including feeling nervous, out-of-control and experiencing trouble relaxing, decreased for students during breaks. This suggests that breaks from school provide measurable relief from psychological stress.
Cal Lutheran should model its academic calendar after Pepperdine. This would better cater to out-of-state students, as well as those who have a further commute. For those that do live nearby, this break allows flexibility in finding times to travel when students like me will not be stuck sitting in traffic on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Benito Ruiz, a junior and psychology major from the Bay Area, said he appreciates the breaks within Cal Lutheran’s academic calendar.
“I like it,” Ruiz said. “More breaks provide students with the opportunity to unwind without feeling like it’s just, kind of, a temporary pause from school. I feel like a lot of people get to take a breather without feeling like it’s not just one step before getting right back into the swing of school.”
While Ruiz noted that college life brings both stress and rewards, he said Cal Lutheran has been supportive of his mental and emotional health.
“Cal Lutheran has provided a place where feel like I can reach out and talk, such as through services like [Counseling and Psychological Services],” Ruiz said. “I am happy that I chose to attend here.”
While the logistics of scheduling are complex, the emotional impact is equally significant. Anna Guerin, director of CAPS, said she works closely with students navigating the ups and downs of being away from home.
“I think the bigger exploration is around students adjusting to being farther away from loved ones, maybe feeling some loneliness over long weekends when room- mates may be gone, and developing a strong social network,” Guerin said. “It is important to acknowledge that this can be difficult and emotionally painful at times and may take some adjustment time or further exploration of what the student needs.”
Guerin encourages students to plan their semesters intentionally, especially if they struggle with isolation.
For those students that experience high amount of overwhelm or would like to see family more, we plan what that would look like ahead of time,” Guerin said. “That could include not taking on too much one semester, knowing the attendance policy per class so if needed a student can take a mental health day or scheduling fun activities to support social engagement.”
Guerin also recommends that students engage in activities that foster connection by joining clubs, attending on-campus programs, volunteering or participating in Campus Ministry.
“I have worked with many students who have enjoyed staying with local friends’ families,” Guerin said. “Although it’s not their own family, it provides a family-like atmosphere.”
According to Kohnke, the process of updating the academic calendar involves multiple departments, including faculty, administrators and the Provost’s Office, but any changes require high-level approval.
“Doing anything with the calendar is extremely complicated,” Kohnke said. “It’s a balance between academic needs, federal regulations, and what students need. The door is always open, and we’re always willing to listen, but it’s not an easy lift.”
For me, a student with some learning challenges, breaks are essential for me to reboot and destress from the anxiety that a rigorous college schedule demands. As it currently stands, I spend the first day of break driving, visit family the very next day, and then say goodbye to family on Black Friday after a day of shopping. In the end, Thanksgiving break feels just like any normal weekend.
While accommodating every type of student is not a simple task, Cal Lutheran has catered too much towards its local student population and needs to swing the pendulum back in the direction of its long-distance resident students.
