Spring break is coming up fast and, personally, I can’t wait another second. Spring break is basically a week-long stretch of time to (hopefully) catch your breath and maybe work your way through a show you’ve been meaning to watch. It’s a terrible thing to see your friends gushing about a new show on social media while you’re working your way through three midterms and a research paper.
Though it can be easy to just sleep the week away (at least 12 hours a night is recommended for proper catch-up sleep), spring break can also be a great time to refresh your mind, enrich yourself, and make your life post-break a lot easier!
Update your portfolio and resume!
I know. I know. I know. Though it’s the last thing most people want to do during their time off, working on your portfolio and resume in little bites throughout break is surprisingly easy! Any time you start to feel stressed or anxious while working on it, set it aside and do some fun things until you’re ready to go at it again.
The best thing you can do if you’re in any kind of creative field (or even if you aren’t) is to make an online portfolio and a really fun-looking resume. To create a resume that’s as cute and quirky as you, I recommend some of of Canva’s great (and free) templates! As hard as it is, try to keep the resume down to one page.
As for an online portfolio, that’s where you get lengthy and showcase all the stuff you didn’t get on the paper resume. Art, client work, magazine layouts, newspaper and magazine article links, etc. are perfect to put in an online portfolio! I’d recommend wordpress for a free option, or squarespace with a student discount! Though squarespace costs money, the easy layout and clean look is worth it, in my humble opinion.
Catch up on some books!
Though it doesn’t seem like you’d want to read books for fun after reading them for classes for the past few months, you’d be surprised! Give your brain a break if it needs it by grabbing some cool graphic novels off the shelves. Here are some of my favorites:
If you like dark fairytales and creepy stories, try Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
If you like biographies, more serious topics and the Bechdel Test, try Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Allison Bechdel
If you like feminism, fun adventures and “Gravity Falls”, try Lumberjanes by Grace Ellis and Noelle Stevenson
If you like buddy cop movies, magic and enemy-to-lovers stories, try Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Binge-watch some TV shows and movies!
The one I’m sure you’ve been waiting for! Everyone has been waiting anxiously to be able to binge watch some shows but, if you’re like me, you may draw a blank as soon as you sit down to start watching. Don’t fear, a Netflix expert is here.
Movies:
If you like sweet, romantic movies and don’t mind subtitles, try The Beauty Inside
If you like animated movies, steampunk worlds and strong female protagonists, try April and the Extraordinary World
If you like Adam Scott and wished “The Omen” was funny and had a happy ending, try Little Evil
TV Shows:
If you want to relive your adolescence and fall into overdramatic crime dramas, try Criminal Minds
If you want to instantly become a nature expert, try Planet Earth II
If you like badass women and superheroes, try Jessica Jones
If you want to never open your laptop again, try Black Mirror
If you like psychotic teenagers, murder and road trips, try The End of the F***ing World