Eric G. Tulsky '97 of North House left Chemistry 30, "Organic Chemistry," yesterday bearing xeroxed holiday gifts from his teaching fellow and professor.

The first was a handout wishing all students seasons greetings. The other two xeroxes were a problem set and an 18-page lab writeup, both of which are due at the beginning of reading period.

"I have an inordinate amount of work to do," Tulsky says.

Once again, there will be no real winter vacation. As their friends at other colleges around the country use winter recess to recuperate from final exams and projects, Harvard students, who failed in their attempt to win calendar reform last spring, find themselves preparing for the January panic.

They aren't the only ones. While some faculty members may be taking vacations, professors say they'll be spending their winter breaks just like their students: working.

"Actually, I'm going to be working down at Harvard for all but two or three days," says Lawrence Professor of Chemistry David A. Evans, who teaches Chem 30.

'I Don't Mind'

Students' suitcases, weighed down by texts and spiral notebooks, may be heavier. But many say they appreciate the extra study time.

"I don't mind because reading period gives me time to catch up," says Mather House resident Michael E. Ronan '95.

Ronan says students at other colleges only get two or three days to cram for finals.

"I think what we have here works," says Rudd W. Coffey '97, a Lowell House resident. "Maybe it's one of those little things that makes Harvard unique."

Jerry Tsai '98 will be returning to Los Angeles with most of his books, but he says he doesn't mind trading egg nog for economics.

"I like having exams after Christmas, because it gives you lots of time to study," Tsai says.

Other students, however, feel the current academic calendar adds too much pressure to what should be a stress-free season.

"It's not really fair that we have midterms and papers [when] other schools are having [final] exams," says Joe Ngai '96, a Leverett House resident. "I have papers due during the first few days after Christmas."