We’ve Reached The End!

21 December 2011Emily R

Yes, fellow Brentonians, there was a light at the end of that dark, exam-filled tunnel. There is no doubt that the final week was a hectic one for all students. Exams have a way of bringing out the worrisome, irritable and yes, even grumpy sides in all of us. I speak from five years of Brentwood exam-taking experience when I say that, to this day, I do not find the exam run-up and process pleasant in any way. Though the daily ‘mini’ sleep-ins are nice, what follows is anything but.

Late night studying and last minute review parties are a uniquely student experience and attempts to cover every bit of material that might, just might, be tested during any one of our exams might be considered personal growth and a good learning process, but it simply leaves us all worn down and wrung out. But fret not students, the end has arrived and Christmas vacation has begun!

Ah! Christmas vacation! Two words that make all those annoying exams worthwhile. It’s the time when students go home, relax, see family and catch up on all the lost sleep that those late nights of studying deprived us of. It can be presumed that most teenagers do not appreciate the idea of a good night’s sleep until they arrive at Brentwood.

Catching up on missed home-cooked meals is another aspect of the holiday season that most students can’t wait to get back to, even if it is just for a couple of short weeks. Nothing tastes as good as something made by your own mother, or father. Even though the cafeteria staff, bless their hearts, puts love and care into the meals that they make us, nothing quite compares to a home cooked meal.

And nothing beats sleeping in your own bed until noon. No sign-ins, no particular time to wake up, no uniforms, no inspections; life’s just about enjoying those nice familiar warm blanket hugs that you have missed so much. And once you have had the luxury of deciding when you want to awake from your beauty rest, you are welcomed with open arms by the loving family that has been anxiously awaiting your return. Even those occasionally annoying siblings that you would never admit you missed start to look good after a few months at Brentwood.

Being a day student, of course, I do get to sleep in my own bed every night and enjoy my mother’s cooking and the luxury of having my laundry done for me on a daily basis, so I can only imagine how the boarders feel once they finally get to head home for a much deserved break.

It’s hard to believe that almost half the year is gone and it’s only a matter of time until we are back again being Busy Brentwood Bees. However, that provides all the more reason to enjoy this vacation, have fun, and get all the rest we can before we all find ourselves back on campus, ready to get back into the swing of things and do it all – all over again.

Emily R

Where Students Choose To Be