Well, we have to book our annual leave so it fits in with student holidays. Most people think we get the same holidays as school teachers but we don't. We get 37 days a year plus Bank Holidays which is generous I know but I do have to fit some research and lecture preparation into that time. Now I lecture other teachers as well as teaching younger students I have a lot more research to do.
Most of us take the biggest chunk of our annual leave in the summer because the last few weeks of the summer term are so tiring but it means we get less time at Christmas and Easter.
