With Christmas quickly approaching, one question we get asked by parents a lot, is what happens with their kids during the holiday break? Now, every school and situation is a bit different and we will go into more detail a bit later in this post, but in general you will have three options to choose from as a student athlete. One thing to explain before we start talking about these options, are the dates for Christmas break over here in the US, since they are a bit different to most other countries. The last week of school for colleges is typically either the first or second week of December and the fall semester ends with the final exams. Schools then go on a one month break that usually lasts till mid January. One other thing to keep in mind is that some sports like basketball also continue to compete during the holidays, so the following options will not apply to these student athletes, since they have to stay on campus.
But let’s talk about the options that athletes in sports such as golf, tennis and soccer (just to name a few) have for the holidays. The first and also most common option that students have, is flying back home to spend the holidays with their families. This is what the majority of students do as it is usually the only time during the school year that they can see their parents, siblings and friends from back home. It is also the option that we recommend if financially possible, as campuses typically get fairly empty during the break.
The second option is to spend Christmas with one of your teammates or friends from college. Americans are very hospitable and giving, and it is very common to get invited to their house for the break. The same is the case for Thanksgiving and we highly recommend this to everyone as well, as the American holiday experience is totally different to what you are probably used to from back home.
The last option, and it is probably the least favorable one, is staying on campus during the holidays. As mentioned above, campuses are typically very empty during the holidays, so there is really not much to do. Also, at some schools, the dorms will actually be closed, so that you will need to find other arrangements. If you live off campus and you are renting a house or apartment, this obviously would not be the case and you might want to consider staying to save some money, but in general this is probably the least common option that student athletes choose.
So as you can see, you have several options for your Christmas break and typically what we see is that the first two years students decide to go home for the break and after that they try to experience an “American Christmas” at least once. But it is totally up to you and as always, if you need help, advice or have questions, we are always there to assist you, so that you can make the best possible decision!