This spring break, are you going to the beach with friends? Is your family going on a trip to (insert the name of literally any place that isn’t your hometown but is preferably some sort of tropical island)? If so, you are probably going to have an amazing spring break without the help of this article, so go finish packing and remember to reapply sunscreen often.
If you’re one of the few college students without vacation plans over spring break, don’t worry— there’s no reason you should have a boring week just because you’re at home! Here are some ways to make the most out of your holiday, no plane ticket needed.
Act like you’re in highschool again.
Returning home from college is a special thing. You get to experience the best parts of living at home, such as access to free food and laundry, while avoiding the lousy parts of being in high school, like waking up at 6 a.m. Look at this week as a break from the stress of college and as an opportunity to sleep in and watch as much television as you want, or as much as you can without your parents judging you, at least.
Be proactive.
Look, breaks are for relaxation, but that doesn’t mean you have to lounge around all day. Let yourself unwind if you need to, but if you go crazy when you aren’t being productive, get work done. This is a week long pause in school, meaning you basically have an extra week to complete an extra credit assignment, begin a paper early, or fill out an internship application. Do those little things you want to get done but struggle to find time for during the average week in college.
Appreciate those around you.
You get to be with your family and hometown friends for a whole week! Use this week as time to spend with your loved ones and catch them up on what is going on in your life. Go shopping with your mom and take your siblings out to eat. Call some friends who are still in high school and who you haven’t seen in awhile so you can reminisce and give them insights into the what college life is like.
Take a day trip.
While you aren’t at college or on vacation, you can still have fun by going on an adventure. When the week starts winding down and things get mundane, get together with family or friends in town and plan a fun day trip somewhere close. Depending on where you live, this could be an exciting nearby city, a hiking trail, an amusement park, really anywhere you decide.
Don’t let FOMO get the best of you.
With these tips, you should have no reason to sit on social media all day swallowing jealousy whilst liking your friends’ pictures at the beach. If you get creative, you’re going to have a good spring break at home. Maybe you’ll even have a great one. Really.
The fear of missing out is real, but remember that while you may not be cruising down the streets of Panama City Beach, you still get a break from school. You also get to go back to school, something that makes you extremely lucky and something that no one should never take for granted.
If you have to stay home during spring break, just stay positive, be creative, and remember that it’s not the end of the world. It may, however, be the beginning of your journey in convincing your parents that a summer vacation is necessary. That’s totally fine too.