Toi – funny “tzushtel”, not sure ’bout that one.
No, I don’t think you need a full month, then three weekd after 3 months of zman, and certainly not 3 weeks after 5 weeks of elul zman! And I’ve rarely met the bachur who disagrees (in principle).
And Bein Hazmanim doesn’t have to mean “vacation” in the literal sense”. The change of routine, which could include helping at home, goes a long way (talking to shmoel here).