I'm trying not to sound like a grumpy old alumnus here, but when I attended Penn State, we didn't have fall break. We worked straight to Thanksgiving.

It was hard, but it was done. Did we fall apart? No. Did we go insane? For the most part, no. Did we survive, thrive and graduate? For the most part, yes.

Generations of proud Penn Staters made it without the break. I just don't see why it's necessary. In this day of instant communication, family is just a click away. College is about becoming your own person, not running home to your parents at every opportunity.

Do students believe that they'll get fall break (or spring break, for that matter) out in the real world? Nope. Not unless they use hard-earned vacation time.

Be ready, folks! It's gets much harder when you graduate!