As the calendar year comes to an end, there is one important thing on students’ minds: winter break. After diligently studying for more than three and a half months, students deserve a break. They often find themselves finally having a chance to relax, celebrate the holidays or catch up on their sleep.

The long break gives students and their families an opportunity to go on vacation, either domestically or internationally. Because of the cold December weather, these destinations are often south of Maryland. Popular locations include Florida, Mexico and the Turks and Caicos Islands. “I am going to St. Augustine in Florida for winter break to spend time with my family in the sun and on the beach,” senior Calvin Hanway said.

Winter break naturally comes with the celebration of holidays for students. From Christmas to New Year’s, students have a chance to receive presents and spend quality time with their loved ones. “Over the winter break, I will be decorating the Christmas Tree and exchanging gifts with my parents and siblings,” senior Ivan Wang said.

Aside from the holidays, students can take advantage of the opportunities that come with cold temperatures and the winter months. There are a wide-range of activities students can do with their family or friends such as ice-skating at Rockville Town Center or going skiing at the Liberty Mountain Resort.

While students can use this time to relax and take a break from their academics, they can also try to get ahead or catch up on their missed classwork. Teachers sometimes also assign tests on the second day that students return, which is in compliance with MCPS policy, but leaves students scrambling to learn the material. “This year I’m going to be spending my winter break with my family and friends, celebrating the holidays. I’ll also be using this time to continue studying for the SAT and making sure I’m caught up in all my classes,” junior Jai Ahuja said.

For seniors, there is an added element to winter break: college applications. While universities have started to release their early decision and early action college decisions, winter break will be a time during which students may decide to attend a certain university. It may also be a time to rush writing their college essays if students are rejected by their early schools.

While current weather forecasts do not project for there to be any snow days throughout winter break, it is still a possibility. Every year, students partake in traditions that range from wearing pajamas inside-out to doing a snow dance in order to have snowfall. If students are able to will the snow, those who stayed home for the break will be able to go sledding with friends, drink hot cocoa and watch classic holiday movies.