Though winter break for Amherst is only two weeks long, usually students view winter break as a one-month-and-a-half long break simply because January term, known as J-Term, starts after winter break and ends right when the spring semester starts. As someone from the West Coast, having J-Term feels strange as lots of my high school friends who go to schools in California returned to school much earlier than I did in the winter. However, many schools in the Northeast tend to start school pretty late in the new year, mostly at the end of January as Amherst does. This is largely due to the weather as the weather during January is usually snowy and frigid, though this year, according to the upperclassmen I talked to, the winter has been milder compared to previous years.
For the large majority of students, J-Term serves as an extension for winter break. During J-Term, I stayed back home in California and worked on applying to summer internships and programs so that once the spring semester started, I wouldn’t have to worry too much about that process. During this time, I also caught up with high school friends as I hadn’t been back home since August, and it was an interesting experience getting to see how their college experiences differed from mine. While J-Term did feel quite long, it made me miss Amherst and my friends at the college a lot, so when returning to the campus was a great experience. We got together for a shopping trip in Northampton right after we all returned so we could have a chance to catch up before the spring semester started. I guess the expression “absence makes the heart grow fonder” really applies in this scenario.
As much as I enjoyed the break and being able to be back home, I’m hoping to stay on campus next year for J-Term. In the past, some classes have been offered during J-Term, but during my first year, this wasn’t the case. Instead, the students who stayed on campus during J-Term were mostly new ACEMS, our student-run emergency medical team, applicants completing their training courses in preparation for joining the team, or students who had on-campus jobs. I know multiple people who stayed on campus to assist their professors with scientific research. Students staying on campus during J-Term get housing and meal plans, though the Valentine dining hours are adjusted since not as many students are on campus.
Being at home or staying on campus aren’t the only options for J-Term. Some students do winter study abroad programs during J-Term, though that typically isn’t as common as students who do regular semester-long study abroad programs. It’s also cheaper to travel during the tail-end of J-Term since the holiday season is over, and that also means that plane tickets for flying from California to the East Coast are also cheaper than they are when flying back home for winter break. I’m excited to see what J-Term is like next year as I prepare for next year!