The Merits of a Three-Day Weekend
Imagine if this past three-day weekend were the norm. An extra day for errands, spending time with friends and family or simply relaxing. What a perfect world it would be if we had three days of rest each week!
The European Union is initiating this new working standard. After the 4 Day Week Global group initiated a government-funded pilot program, companies across Europe participated in a trial run for a four-day workweek. Instead of the normal 40 hours per week, employees worked 32 hours for the same salary and benefits.
Researchers from Boston College, University College Dublin and Cambridge University found that reduced work hours can cause an increase in efficiency, productivity and employee satisfaction. So why stop this pilot program at the corporate level? If improving the mental and physical well-being of students is an option, then we should apply the principles of the four-day workweek to university-level education.
Although the results of the pilot program only demonstrate the impact of a 32-hour week on corporate life, it remains indisputable that less time working (or in classes) offers us a way to focus on ourselves and our lives outside of academia. Going to college is not just about your grades–it’s about gaining professional and personal experiences and learning how to be independent. However, that’s hard to do when you feel burnt out or exhausted after balancing classes, extracurriculars and jobs for five days out of the week.
Throughout my past three years at Santa Clara, I’ve rarely had more than four days of classes. The respite of a midweek break gave me time to study for my classes, get some much-needed sleep and even spend time on ever-important hobbies.
The idea of not having classes five days per week isn’t novel, but it needs to be implemented as a university standard.
A 2005 New York Times article by Katie Hafner detailed the different perspectives and challenges of Friday classes. According to Hafner, there are scheduling conflicts and logistical issues with eliminating Friday classes, but even universities in the early 2000s aspired for three-day weekends.
The main concern Hafner draws attention to is the partying a three-day weekend facilitates. Nevertheless, having classes won’t necessarily prevent students from partying, but a three-day weekend could greatly benefit those working part-time jobs, internships or playing sports–among the many vital extracurricular college commitments.
Having a four-day workweek isn’t conducive to every profession, but, given the similar scheduling of classes across college campuses, it is a practice that could feasibly be applied. The next three-day weekend is President’s Day, so remember that feeling of three-day weekend relief when you have to drag yourself back to class on an early Friday morning.