7 Ways to Make The Most of Your On-Campus Spring Break

We are reaching the week in the semester that is marked on every college students’ calendar. Whether the seven days in the planner reads “PUNTA CANA” in big letters or are filled by a volunteer service trip,  Spring Break has finally arrived.

But while some are checking their luggage and loading on the sunscreen, more than half of college students will actually be sticking around for break. Maybe it’s the struggling economy, perhaps it’s a pair of hostile and nervous parents; whatever the reason and no matter your longitude and latitude, Spring Break is an annual week that should be soaked up by all. Yes, even in your teeny, tiny dormroom.

1)      Take time off: OK, so maybe your surroundings are missing a few palm trees and a couple thousand college students running wild but the point of Spring Break is to do just that: break. Close the text books, put away the planner and relax for the week. You will certainly need the relaxation after the midterms you have just endured and to plow you through the upcoming weeks leading up to finals.

2)      Be the biggest loser: Though you might feel like the big loser for not buying a boarding pass and a new bikini, I don’t mean it literally. Make like the contestants on The Biggest Loser and use the week to get on track with fitness. Maybe studying has veered you off the path towards that summer bod. Well then, use the week to get outdoors, pump iron at the gym (which will be nice and empty for a change!) and get back on track. Delight in the idea of saving yourself from all the calories that would love to take a vacation on your body, in the form of several margaritas and a plate full of nachos by the pool, and do yourself some good.

3)      Become a college connoisseur: The beauty of Spring Break is the fact that colleges break at all different times. See this week as an opportunity to visit friends from other schools. Take to the pull-out couch of some of your closest buds at other schools and appreciate the seven days you have to bridge the distance that school can put between some friendships.

4)      Finish your sentences (without any slurring): Spring break is a great excuse to tie up loose ends. Throughout the semester we rack up a long to-do list but don’t always find ample time to tackle it. Take the week to finish what you started – that book you got halfway through, your closet that you meant to clean out, a list of friends you have meant to catch up with.

5)      Think outside the bar: So you have your traditional hot spots that you hit up every Monday Thursday through Saturday.  And while it is hard to stray away from ritual during the semester, there is so much to do outside of these typical destinations. Hit up a new part of town, see what the “off-campus” area has to offer. You may just thank yourself for stepping away from the usual Friday night activities and finding a new hot spot to hit up when school is back in session.

6)      Treat yourself: You saved a ton of green ones by not charging the all-inclusive stay at the five-star hotel to your credit card. Isn’t it safe to say that you can splurge a little and treat yourself? A day at the spa, a shopping trip, tickets to see a good sports game. Not heading out of the country for Spring Break is not meant to be a torturous sentence;  give yourself the break you deserve and bask in the fact that you are spending 1/27 of what your classmates have in order to do so.

7)      Embrace the solitude: It’s hard to get any alone time when school is in session, so take advantage of having your room and your campus to yourself. Sleep late; do a power cleaning; watch what you want, when you want, without any distractions. Sure, one can be the loneliest number, but it can also be quite pleasant when you haven’t experienced it in awhile.