After a long and busy fall semester, winter break gave students a chance to slow down and focus on what they needed most. For some, that was taking the time to relax and unwind. Others focused on reconnecting with family and friends, while others spent the break working to save money.

This is the first of a two-part series looking into winter break and the transition for students into the spring semester. 

“The main thing I did over break was work back at Fareway as a cashier and stocker,” first-year architecture major Noah Duff said. “It was a little tedious, but I got to see the people I’ve known for years for a month, which was nice.”

While students like Duff focused on building funds for the upcoming semester, other students, like first-year interior design major Ethan Zeitler, focused on resting and recovering after a long fall semester.

“Winter break helped me to reset mentally since I wasn’t very worried about school outside of making sure my loans were sent in,” Zeitler said. “A break away from the hustle and bustle of campus life let me unwind and just relax.”

Isen O’Bryon, a sophomore in chemistry, used winter break to reconnect with friends and family.

“The highlight of my break [was] spending time with my hometown friends. It was really lovely to see them again,” O’Bryon said.

Although it was nice for students to reconnect, several students missed their friends and the experiences they had on campus.

“I definitely missed the friends I made here at Iowa State, and I’m excited to go back and start hanging out with them again,” Duff said.

O’Bryon shared that same sentiment.

“I miss all the friends I made here at Iowa State,” O’Bryon said. “I loved that I was close to everyone and that I had a lot of events [every day] with friends.”