Interim is a week to get away from the stress of school and homework while having fun with your friends outside of school grounds. This year, there were many interim choices, ranging from local activities like aviation to regional activities such as river rafting or horseback riding. There were even options to go to Boston, Atlanta, or even Costa Rica and China! However, it feels like the interim ideas are grouped into categories, whether it’s exploring nature in states near to us, or doing small activities in the city. As such, I wanted to know what activities for interim current students would be interested in or want to go on in the future, to try and add more options that appeal to the larger student population.

By asking the general student body about their interim experiences, I found the people who responded tended to enjoy their interims. Many people also had expectations for their interim but found that what actually happened surpassed their ideas. On a scale from 1 to 10, there was an average of 7.47 for their expectations, but there was an average of 8.06 for their actual experiences. This shows how many people enjoyed interim more than they thought they would, and how interim continues to be a fun experience for all.

Additionally, the data showed that traveling interims like Atlanta and Costa Rica had the highest reviews, with an average of 9.5 out of 10. On the other hand, TOSH had the worst reviews, with an average of 4.25 out of 10. People who had this interim said that “the worst part was that there were a lot of talking and lectures,” “the guy talked for two hours about a sport none of us played,” and “the best parts were when we got to move around.” On the other hand, people who had more fun on their interims said that “I enjoyed all of the activities we did such as ziplining, hiking, and doing tours,” “I got to make many friends on the trip,” and “I enjoyed everything except getting stuck in the Houston airport.” This shows the stark difference between two different interims, and how people can spend this week doing vastly different things. 

When asked “What idea(s) do you have for future interim(s)?,” people had many ideas. Multiple people said activities surrounding travel, such as going to Tokyo, Europe, or Nashville. Additionally, people wanted activities spanning many different topics, like more warm-weather interims, mountain biking, astronomy, poetry, and farming. This shows what people would like to see for interim: rather than having a lot of interims centered around one theme, they want to see more diversity and fun experiences come to life.

In conclusion, interim provided a week for people to try new things and have fun with friends. Many people enjoyed interim, appreciating the time away from school and homework and just getting to have fun. One student said that “interim was a blast,” which sums up many of the experiences students had during this year’s interim. Interim is such a great time, and we are lucky to get to do it every year.