Picture this: it’s finals period of the fall semester and right now, nothing sounds better than winter break. You gaze longingly at some January-dated plans and dream of your epic adventures or well-deserved nap. Then, the idea hits you: what if you could have one more week of vacation? Another week of relief from the hustle and bustle of Harvard life? Can you really swing it? Is it even possible? Well, fear not, dear reader. I have taken one for the team and tested the waters to see if you, too, can afford to skip the first week of next term.

Do you know your schedule? (Are you sure?)

As a pre-med double concentrator who has yet to finish their language requirement, my course load was pretty much set in stone a year ago. I know what classes I needed to take, and, no matter how hideous the Q Report looks for Chem 27, I’m stuck here. If you have any ambiguity in classes you’re unsure about or want to shop around, then you should definitely be in attendance during the week designed for that.

Are any of your lectures recorded?

The singular win of Chem 27 is that I know the material will be uploaded to the dreaded Canvas regardless of whether I sit in Science Center B or not. The next best thing to being in person is watching class at 1.5x speed and furiously scribbling down annotations. Lectures not recorded? Acceptable alternatives include: professors who post really good versions of in-class slides, courses that don’t take attendance the first week or two, or having close friends in the class with note-taking skills you trust with your life (and to a more important extent, your GPA).

Are you willing to forgo any and all social events the week/weekend you return to campus?

This is more of a give-and-take situation. If you want that extra week off, you can’t expect to return to a world of leisure and casual catch-ups. That’s what those kids who showed up for Wintersession move-in got. You, in turn, will get approximately ten days where you do all of the work for the week you missed on top of the work for the week of school you’re in attendance for.

How tied are you to doing zero work for the week you’re missing?

The aforementioned hermitting can be alleviated by putting in a smidgen of work on the front end. This strategy is ideal if your plans include time in which, ideally, you’re lounging beachside but are okay logging into Gradescope and Gmail every now and then. This can also keep you ahead of any nasty first week(end) deadlines that sneak up even on the most present of pupils.

Do you experience intense FOMO (fear of missing out)?

While you’re off gallivanting on an extended vacation, note that all of your peers/suitemates/classmates/Sidechat karma rivals will be on campus experiencing things you never will *cough* (A FOOT OF SNOW?!?) *cough*. If you are either 1. Secure enough 2. Confident your plans will be cooler than the entirety of Harvard student body activities, you’re probably in the clear. If not, prepare to close Instagram and your dorm group chat for the week.

Ever since the college abolished shopping week (bring it back!), the first week of school has slightly more importance. But if weighing it against cool life experiences or another week of home-cooked meals, consider the pros and cons carefully. While irksome, this absence is manageable – speaking from experience as a truant.