How did you spend your Senior Year College Winter Break?

Currently a senior that is graduating this upcoming spring This past semester has had its ups and downs. I slacked off at the beginning but grinded towards the end to maintain my GPA which I am really happy about. I'm really grateful for the position I am in knowing that this might be the last time I have real freedom before working FT.

I've read many times on the site that you should cherish the free time you have in college, however, with all of my friends focused on grad school apps and their own careers, we don't have as much time to hang out after the holidays because everyone has their own schedules.

Would it be a waste of time during break to brush up on skills like financial modeling, learning code, etc? I know people are going to call me a try-hard, but I think spending time for maybe even a couple of hours a day won't hurt and can only help me in the long run.

Posting in the IB forum because it gets the most traffic (not going into ib). Thanks for any advice!

Would also love to hear how you spent your senior year winter break before FT.

7 Comments
 

I really think taking time off till the new year is key. Usually break ends around mid Jan for most schools so if you feel compelled do some work on the back end of break. Otherwise rest and recover. I’ve been struggling to do that since it’s a weird time to transition like you, but honestly I know I need to wind down for a couple weeks before I try to do any work.

 

Qui unde aut repudiandae. Ad illo aperiam culpa molestiae. Ut sunt ea nobis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan No 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”