All is quiet....

It's the time of year when the university building is very quiet with most of our students either out in practice or on their summer break. It is a time for reflection and preparation for the new semester where we will welcome our progressing students back, as well as the new students who commence a range of courses here in my institution. As well as these things, the 'summer' period (not sure whether to call it summer this year!) is time for scholarship and research - both work on existing projects as well as time to work up ideas to take forward in the next session for funding bids. Although busy, there is a sense of a 'pause' in overt activity (i.e. running from teaching sessions, to student meetings, to staff meetings, to......) and I was wondering about our degree students with their 45 week academic year (outwith our circle of influence as this is prescribed) - they never get a pause in any sense of the word throughout their three years as far as I can see. Yes, they have annual leave - but for most of them this will probably involve study, work, family care..... We work hard to ensure that we offer students support in all sorts of areas of their lives (through our personal tutor system, central university services etc.), but I do wonder if the unstinting focus on their course (alongside everything else they do) may be detrimental to their experience as a student.