I've said this before, I say it again:
The right time to have a semester break in colleges/universities is right after the midsemester exams. It (a) helps the students diffuse examination stress and freshens them up for the remaining part of the semester and (b) allows faculty members to check examination answer scripts efficiently and declare marks as soon as students come back from the break.
What many colleges/universities have started doing instead is continuing classes right after exams and giving semester breaks during festivals instead. The supposed logic is that students can travel home to be with their parents during Holi, Diwali, etc. This has three drawbacks: (a) students don't get the much needed stress release right after exams, (b) answer script checking gets delayed because faculty members have to now distribute time between their lecture responsibilities and checking answer scripts and (c) students miss out on celebrating festivals with their college/university friends - something that actually goes a long way in deepening friendships that last for a lifetime!
And alongside the above, another thing I've said before and say again: Have only one set of midsemester exams in a semester. Some colleges/universities have two sets of exams during the semester and then an end semester exam. This is excessive! Education cannot only be about preparing for exams all the time! In fact, students have to be gradually brought to a point where they understand that education is important because it enhances the quality of their lives, and they need to appreciate and absorb knowledge regardless of whether someone is going to test them or not! Having too many exams is the easiest way to have students miss this point entirely!
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