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Carleton Winter Breaks

Winter breaks at Carleton can be long (usually around six weeks), but that doesn't mean Carleton students don’t keep themselves busy during their break!

Winter breaks at Carleton can be long (usually around six weeks), but that doesn't mean Carleton students don’t keep themselves busy during their break!


I’ve always viewed Carleton winter breaks as a way to take a long period of reflection on the past term and the future ahead, and its length certainly allows for this. At the same time, these breaks let students pursue a short-term endeavor, whether it be an externship (on occasion short-term internships), part-time work, a vacation, or a combination of the three.

Winter break of my sophomore year I had the pleasure of working at Carleton admissions as an office assistant and tour guide. Spending so much time in the admissions setting gave me a better understanding of how admissions works at colleges and a newfound appreciation for the sheer amount of work and complexity that goes into the process. 

This past winter break, I spent the majority of my time in Japan visiting a variety of cities including Kyoto, Tokyo, and Hiroshima in an attempt to both practice my Japanese and explore all of the touristy hotspots. Japan is an amazing country and I highly recommend others to visit!

Although I’ve never personally participated in one, externships are another option that a number of Carleton students choose, and are basically experiences for students to get a glimpse into the working world and explore possible careers from a more observational rather than hands-on perspective. 


Chase is a junior linguistics major and is more than glad to exchange the year-round California heat for some Minnesota seasonality. In his free time, he enjoys directing K-pop dances for Karl-Pop, playing guzheng, and cycling around Northfield. When Chase doesn’t have free time, which is often, he’ll be in the libe or Sayles with a cup (or cups) of chai tea in hand. 

During winter break 2016

During winter break 2016

Itsukushima Shrine

Itsukushima Shrine

Making matcha tea in Kyoto

Making matcha tea in Kyoto