When exactly should we consider it to be Spring Break to be avoided?

[ontheweb]

DW's career as an art teacher started well before our first cruise in 2002, but now she has retired from that job. We in the past never worried about Spring Break as all our cruises were during the summer. So now I ask, when exactly is the Spring Break time to avoid?

[ldubs]

My first thought was if you wife was a teacher, she would likely know!   Haha. 

 

I don't think there is a single fixed week.  For the US, it is likely late March or early April.  

 

If causing during that time there are some things that can be done to avoid spring breakers.   For example, avoid cruises of 7 days or less   Or, avoid Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruises.   And of course, just don't book during the spring break window.      

[cruisemom42]

College spring breaks in the US peak in the second half of March, but some may be earlier or later. (And some peg their breaks to Easter...)

 

Elementary middle and high schools vary greatly. Some also give a week (or close to it) in February for a "winter break".  This is also common in Europe -- at least in France, where I have colleagues who take their families skiing that that time...

 

[navybankerteacher]

“Spring Break” is a catch-all term referring to school and college vacation times in the second half of the academic year. The period during which cruises become inundated essentially starts with Presidents Week - late February, increases with intensity through March, and finally tapers off around mid-April.

 

Of course summer vacation time, especially for southern colleges starts at the end of April, so all of May and most of June (Spring) can be seen as being impacted by “Spring” crowds.

Edited November 20, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[Flatbush Flyer]

Basically, “spring break” can happen at any time in the spring.

For K-12, many public schools use the week prior to Easter Sunday while many Catholic schools use the week following Easter Sunday.

As for colleges, it’s “all over the place” - often depending on the “terms” of any individual campus (or university system) including semesters, trimesters, quarters. Easter may be involved as might the middle of a traditional spring semester.

Obviously, whatever time you choose, your chance of having a peaceful vacation are best served by selecting cruises that exceed 10 days, avoid the Caribbean and Mexico and are a $$ stretch for most college kids.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

My first thought was if you wife was a teacher, she would likely know!   Haha. 

 

I don't think there is a single fixed week.  For the US, it is likely late March or early April.  

 

If causing during that time there are some things that can be done to avoid spring breakers.   For example, avoid cruises of 7 days or less   Or, avoid Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruises.   And of course, just don't book during the spring break window.      

For the last 31 years she taught art at a school so small she was the only art teacher for grades pre-k through 6. Not really worried about rowdy elementary school age children, but more about college age students.

[slidergirl]

Up here where I live, a major ski resort town, we now consider Spring Break to be from Presidents Week (used to be "weekend", but it's more week now) to Easter Monday.  It just seems to be one big, messy busy time.  The old "public schools do week before Easter and Catholic schools do week after Easter" has morphed into "depending on the school schedule, it can be anytime".  I've had families with school-age kids show up for a week anytime during that "Spring Break".  

[mjkacmom]

The majority of colleges have spring break in March. Last year I had 3 in college, 3 different weeks.

[Essiesmom]

The best estimate I know is to go to the cruise.one website.  Look at the fares.  The more spring break bookings they anticipate, the higher the fares.  EM

[marco]

Colleges usually mid March.  Public schools usually mid April.  Note that not every school or school system has the same week(s) off.

[Mum2Mercury]

Colleges tend to run 14-week semesters, and their spring break is at the halfway point -- so usually mid-March.  BUT some schools start earlier /later than others; for example, my kids attended a university in a snowy area, and they always started a week later than other colleges.  

 

On the other hand, public K-12 schools tend to schedule spring break either the week before OR the week after Easter, and that can fall in either March or April -- depends upon the Equinoxal storms. 

[zqvol]

On 11/20/2022 at 10:54 AM, ontheweb said:

DW's career as an art teacher started well before our first cruise in 2002, but now she has retired from that job. We in the past never worried about Spring Break as all our cruises were during the summer. So now I ask, when exactly is the Spring Break time to avoid?

Spring break is a season. It begins with colleges the first week of March and runs through the week after Easter. Most colleges have their breaks in March,  K-12 schools usually the week before or the week after Easter.

[BruceMuzz]

If you cruise in Europe, Asia, or South America, you most likely will not see many Spring Breakers - ever.

[donaldsc]

You could go on cruises that don't accept or cater to kids.  As others have suggested you could do cruises that are >7 days.  You could go on more expensive cruises that young people can't afford.  You could go to places that kids or at least the drinking crowd of kids will not be interested in.  There are lots of options to avoid going on a booze cruise or a kid laden cruise that are not date related.

 

DON

[Flatbush Flyer]

14 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Colleges tend to run 14-week semesters, and their spring break is at the halfway point -- so usually mid-March.  BUT some schools start earlier /later than others;…..

Perhaps forty years ago.

Yes - there are still colleges that use traditional semesters. But even those have morphed in ways including the 4-1-4 academic year. As I mentioned earlier, there are many colleges and universities, particularly in the U.S. that have trimesters, quarters, 12 month courses of study (particularly in professional programs with mandatory field instruction).

[Markanddonna]

Trying to avoid large crowds of students, families and children is quite tricky. Some people on CC seem to think that spring break weeks for their own region apply everywhere else. I've noted that you need to be careful looking at random weeks from mid January and then President's Day week to the week after Easter.

 

We were on a cruise in Feb 2020 that attracted many families and children over President's Day. As a former teacher, I can assure you that many parents have no hesitation taking their kids out of school for a week +, especially over this holiday.

 

Then, you have to Google Yeshiva partial charters for their winter break times. In 2023, groups who follow kosher eating regulations partially charter cruises on mainstream cruiselines. In 2023, you will find the NCL Epic from Jan 22-29 and the RCL Wonder OTS from Jan 12- 29 partially chartered for kosher groups (typically Yeshiva groups from NY and NJ.)  I would avoid those as some favorite dining and other rooms and venues will be closed off to the other passengers. I have read some reviews about this and would recommend avoiding these sailings.  BTW, unless you are aware of these charters, the cruise lines don't inform you about them.

 

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Perhaps forty years ago.

Yes - there are still colleges that use traditional semesters. But even those have morphed in ways including the 4-1-4 academic year. As I mentioned earlier, there are many colleges and universities, particularly in the U.S. that have trimesters, quarters, 12 month courses of study (particularly in professional programs with mandatory field instruction).

 

Huh?  Colleges no longer use semesters?  

[mjkacmom]

https://www.springbreak.com/Spring_Break_Dates.html

[Mum2Mercury]

6 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Perhaps forty years ago.

Yes - there are still colleges that use traditional semesters. But even those have morphed in ways including the 4-1-4 academic year. As I mentioned earlier, there are many colleges and universities, particularly in the U.S. that have trimesters, quarters, 12 month courses of study (particularly in professional programs with mandatory field instruction).

Sure, some colleges use trimesters, quarters, or other systems, but -- by and large -- a college semester is still 14 weeks, while a high school semester is 18 weeks.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Huh?  Colleges no longer use semesters?  

Reread my post(s) above. Some colleges use traditional semesters with a short Christmas break and return in early January. Many that used to use that two semester arrangement, now start later in order to add an intensive instructional period in January. It’s called 4-1-4 and it’s been around for a very long time -particularly in large public institutions.

I haven’t checked lately but there are others that primarily use quarters and, as aforementioned, trimesters (or something akin to that) has often replaced optional “summer” school with required “summer” school. You’ll find that to be the case with many professional programs attempting to squeeze three years of major coursework into two calendar years - thus offering the possibility to actually do what has become a 5 year baccalaureate degree completion in the original four years. 
 

For folks interested in what is going on at the forefront of academic calendar scheduling, I suggest they peruse the 2022-2024 calendars of campuses in the trendsetting state university systems like the California State University and the University of California. You might be very surprised.

 

 

[ldubs]

11 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Reread my post(s) above. Some colleges use traditional semesters with a short Christmas break and return in early January. Many that used to use that two semester arrangement, now start later in order to add an intensive instructional period in January. It’s called 4-1-4 and it’s been around for a very long time -particularly in large public institutions.

I haven’t checked lately but there are others that primarily use quarters and, as aforementioned, trimesters (or something akin to that) has often replaced optional “summer” school with required “summer” school. You’ll find that to be the case with many professional programs attempting to squeeze three years of major coursework into two calendar years - thus offering the possibility to actually do what has become a 5 year baccalaureate degree completion in the original four years. 
 

For folks interested in what is going on at the forefront of academic calendar scheduling, I suggest they peruse the 2022-2024 calendars of campuses in the trendsetting state university systems like the California State University and the University of California. You might be very surprised.

 

 

 

I was referring to your "maybe forty years ago" response to someone else's comment about breaks happening between semesters.   I think it is still the case that most colleges use the semester system (not the 4-1-4 calendar) and that there is a break between them.  Though, to be sure, spring break is normally happening during the spring semester, just like Thanksgiving break happens during the fall semester.  

 

I won't comment on CA State University system being at the forefront of anything, but will note most campuses are still on the semester system for the 22-23 academic calendar.  

   

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I was referring to your "maybe forty years ago" response to someone else's comment about breaks happening between semesters.   I think it is still the case that most colleges use the semester system (not the 4-1-4 calendar) and that there is a break between them.  Though, to be sure, spring break is normally happening during the spring semester, just like Thanksgiving break happens during the fall semester.  

 

I won't comment on CA State University system being at the forefront of anything, but will note most campuses are still on the semester system for the 22-23 academic calendar.  

   

Of course, this is not the correct forum to discuss what constitutes the factors/criteria best suited to determine the excellence, value, degree appropriateness/usefulness and other merits of one university campus/system over another.
That said, however, you might want to take some time to look at real data (using those types of criteria) rather than something like U.S. News (or other popular periodicals’) college “rankings.” Might I suggest starting with something like the “first time pass rate” for numerous professional licenses and/or certifications right here in California (pick from among health professions, engineering…..   You may be VERY surprised at which campuses in the Golden State excel in ways that mean the most to Californians. Follow that with a bit more difficult research regarding how many institutions/systems (public or private) across US States (and major cities within them) have tried to copy everything they can from the organization, management, performance reviews, etc created and/or utilized by the CSU. 
 

But, back to the earlier discussion. Someone posted that the average college semester is 14 weeks. For the traditional semester scheduling and award of courses/units (e.g., everything from humanities to sciences and professional programs of all ilks), one would be hard pressed to find still existing traditional semesters that were anything less than 15-16 weeks in length (in order to include enough instructional hours to justify credits offered and meet Regional Accreditation requirements for those credit awards).

BTW, I could easily demonstrate that with some real life academic programming exemplars.  But I doubt anyone here wants to pay the consulting fee.

 

One final thought for parents wanting to send their kids to the “best” college in some major metro area. When your kid takes “whatever 101” At “ranked number 1,” it will very often be taught by a part-timer who also teaches at the community college (or two or three other colleges) in the same neighborhood or not too far across town.

Edited November 22, 2022 by Flatbush Flyer

[slidergirl]

8 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Huh?  Colleges no longer use semesters?  

Even back in the 70s, my university, UCLA, used the quarter system.

 

[Essiesmom]

I grew up at a major eastern university - my parents were on the faculty, and in the very late 50’s maybe 1960, they changed from what was the semester system to what they called the term system.  Each term was 10 weeks, all four were equal, although there was not as large a variety of courses offered in the summer.  Classes were 75 minutes long.  The change was made due to the influx of GI Bill students after Korea.  The term system made it possible for a degree to be earned in three years instead of four.  That same school reverted back to semesters some 20 years later due to decreased demand.  EM

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Of course, this is not the correct forum to discuss what constitutes the factors/criteria best suited to determine the excellence, value, degree appropriateness/usefulness and other merits of one university campus/system over another.
That said, however, you might want to take some time to look at real data (using those types of criteria) rather than something like U.S. News (or other popular periodicals’) college “rankings.” Might I suggest starting with something like the “first time pass rate” for numerous professional licenses and/or certifications right here in California (pick from among health professions, engineering…..   You may be VERY surprised at which campuses in the Golden State excel in ways that mean the most to Californians. Follow that with a bit more difficult research regarding how many institutions/systems (public or private) across US States (and major cities within them) have tried to copy everything they can from the organization, management, performance reviews, etc created and/or utilized by the CSU. 
 

But, back to the earlier discussion. Someone posted that the average college semester is 14 weeks. For the traditional semester scheduling and award of courses/units (e.g., everything from humanities to sciences and professional programs of all ilks), one would be hard pressed to find still existing traditional semesters that were anything less than 15-16 weeks in length (in order to include enough instructional hours to justify credits offered and meet Regional Accreditation requirements for those credit awards).

BTW, I could easily demonstrate that with some real life academic programming exemplars.  But I doubt anyone here wants to pay the consulting fee.

 

One final thought for parents wanting to send their kids to the “best” college in some major metro area. When your kid takes “whatever 101” At “ranked number 1,” it will very often be taught by a part-timer who also teaches at the community college (or two or three other colleges) in the same neighborhood or not too far across town.

 

Funny you say this is not the correct forum, then talk at length.  You seem to draw some very strange conclusions from my comment.   

 

As you say, back to the topic.  I understood the earlier comments to imply the semester system was outdated.  I think that is inaccurate.   Thanks for clarifying that your real objection is based on someone calling a semester 14 instead of 15 weeks.