As school starts up and students see their classmates again, everyone will be asking, “So how was your break?”

This month off school is used differently for many NYU students. Students may relax, travel, spend time with their family or take J-term classes.

CAS sophomore Allie Rubeck used her break to travel to the NYU Abu Dhabi campus for 10 days through the CAS Presidential Honors Scholars Program.

“We traveled around the area, visiting the largest mosque in the world, taking in the beautiful architecture of the city and exploring its extravagant hotels and palaces. We also traveled to the desert oasis of Al Ain and visited Dubai,” Rubeck said. “Not only did we take in the sites, we learned about the history and development of the region and important issues that exist in the UAE today.”

Rubeck highly recommends the trip and the program, saying she plans to make many trips to the Middle East now. Her favorite night was spent in the desert, which was something she had never done before. That night while watching the sunset, after a day of sandboarding, riding a camel and an ATV and getting a henna tattoo, she realized how lucky she was to be on her trip.

“I’ve never been one to sit back and just relax over a vacation,” Rubeck said. “I’m always itching to do something and get out there and go on an adventure, so I did just that.”

From the desert to the snow, CAS junior Erika Smith decided to spend her break hitting the slopes with her friends in Stratton, VT. While traveling is fun, Smith said being with her family is the best part of her break, especially following the death of her aunt.

“Winter break is an important time to spend with family, and I love being with my family. No phones are allowed and we play games and drink champagne,” Smith said. “The break really left me refreshed and motivated for the new semester.”

Nursing senior Megan Salvato used her break to prepare for her future. Upon graduating in May, Salvato will be sent to work in a military hospital in Washington D.C.

“I just found out where I will be stationed after graduation so I wanted to go check it out and start planning,” Salvato said. “I also worked a lot and had time to save and plan for my future beyond NYU.”

However, breaks don’t always go as planned, as CAS sophomore Lourania Oliver discovered. Besides traveling to California with her family and taking a snowboarding trip, Oliver visited her ex and met his family, despite having broken up with him before the trip occurred.

“It was super awkward. His mom never even talked to me, she just looked at me and looked away. His extended family just referred to me as ‘that girl,’” Oliver said. “We’re on good terms and I thought there would be no pressure to impress, but wow, was it awkward.”

So whether your break was exciting, awkward or boring, get ready to answer the same question for the next few weeks, “What did you do over break?”

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Jan. 23 print edition.

Email Faith Gates at [email protected].