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FIU | Culture

How to Enjoy Spring Break while maintaining your Academic Workload

Emily Perez Student Contributor, Florida International University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FIU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.


A week off from school is exactly what every college student needs while working through the spring semester. Spring break is the perfect opportunity to have fun and enjoy some time away from academic responsibilities. However there is an evident struggle that many college students face regarding upcoming exams, papers, and projects they don’t want to fall behind on. It can be difficult to enjoy spring break to its fullest extent with a Canvas-filled calendar. However, with the following strategies, students will be able to relax and have a fun-filled break while remaining on top of their academics! 

  1. Planning Ahead: Create a visual graph of what your semester looks like
  • Organizing what assignments need to be prioritized and completed based off of their deadlines is a great way of making sure you don’t miss an assignment. 
  • Spending an extra hour or two on your assignments before break starts will be worth it, as you’ll free up a lot of your social activity time. 
  • Getting started ahead of time also goes for assignments that may be due shortly after break comes to an end. Complete those assignments beforehand in order to focus on your spring break itinerary rather than school assignments! 
  1. Use technology to your advantage: Productivity on vacation
  • Using reminder apps such as Notion or Google Calendar are great tools to implement within your life in order to stay focused and organized academically. 
  • Communicating with your professors and peers via Canvas or email during this time will also assist with obtaining course materials you can use for future assignments you can get started on. 
  1. Studying over Break: ways of combining fun and studying

Many students are anticipating midterm exams following spring break’s end. Setting a few study sessions within your week-long break will prepare you for your upcoming exam. Two ways of having fun while studying are:

  • Going to a new environment to study: finding a new cafe or bookstore is always exciting, especially if you’re traveling for Spring break! You’ll discover a new place in an entirely new area.
  • Studying could also be a fun activity you can do within a group setting. Studying together makes the work feel less isolating if everyone is doing their own thing!
  1. Rewarding yourself and recharging
  • While these strategies are ways to stay on top of your course work before, during, and after break, it’s important to take time for yourself.
  • Celebrating milestones after completing school assignments is the perfect way to balance fun and academics. An excuse to spoil yourself? Yes please, you deserve it.
  • Don’t forget the word “break” is the second half of Spring break. Make sure you get lots of rest. It’s hard to stay productive if you aren’t resting your mind.

With integrating a schedule involving both fun and work, you can enjoy spring break without worrying about your upcoming deadlines academically. By following these tips, you won’t need to sacrifice any of your time to rest and recharge, as you’ll continue this semester strong. 

Hello everyone, my name is Emily Perez! I’m excited to introduce myself as a third semester FIU student where I am pursuing a major in English with a focus on writing and rhetoric. Other than my passion for literature and writing, I enjoy listening to Taylor Swift, drinking iced matcha lattes (with oat milk!), and spending time with family and friends. :D