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Life

Bored & Broke: 10 Things To Do Over Winter Break

Kaelin Ray
Yilan Yang
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Harvard chapter.

I don’t know about you but winter break, whether it’s three weeks or six weeks (shoutout Harvard), can easily get pretty boring. And if you’re a #brokecollegestudent like me, finding things to do can be even harder. So here’s 10 easy and cheap things you can do over break that will keep you entertained without breaking the bank.

  1. Catch an early movie

Matinee prices at many theaters are a lot cheaper than regular prices, so going to the 

theatre early in the day isn’t so bad for the budget.

  1. Read a book 

I literally used to love reading but with school and extracurriculars, time to read for 

pleasure has gotten away from me. Take advantage of the break and get back to reading 

whatever you like!

  1. Go to a museum

A lot of museums are free or have discounts for people who live in the area, so check them out!

  1. Do some DIYs

If you’re at a loss for ideas Pinterest is literally loaded with fun DIYs for just about anything: room decor, clothing, or anything else you can think of. 

  1. Binge a Netflix series or have a movie marathon

Season 2 of the show “You” just came out…also if you have Disney Plus (or can use one 

of your friends’) the options are endless.

  1. Go thrift shopping

Thrift shopping is awesome because you can find rare, one-of-a-kind clothing items for really low prices. Also combing through the piles of stuff can take a lot of time, but still be fun, especially if you go with friends.

  1. Channel some ~artsy~ energy

Breaks are a good time to pick up artsy hobbies like drawing, painting, photography, or playing an instrument

  1. Put together a jigsaw puzzle

This may sound kinda lame and nerdy, but last Christmas break I sprained my ankle and was consequently stuck in my house :/ so my mom got me a Stranger Things jigsaw puzzle. It took me 3 days to finish but it was actually so fun and kept me engaged for hours at a time. 

  1. Reminisce

One of my favorite things to do when I’m at home is go through old photo albums and boxes of stuff from my elementary, middle, and high school days. Looking back can be really fun and interesting. 

  1. Spend quality time with the fam

For a lot of college students, especially those who go to school out of state, break is one 

of the few times you’ll have to really spend time and catch up with family. I personally 

watch a lot of movies with my mom and sometimes play Scrabble against my dad, which is fun because I can finally beat him now that I’m older. But whatever family time looks like for you, take advantage of it while you can!

Kaelin Ray

Harvard '22

I'm a junior at Harvard studying Neuroscience with a secondary in Spanish (also pre-med!) from the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Here on campus, I'm a captain of the women's club volleyball team, events chair for the Generational African American Students Association (GAASA), and a mentor with the Science Club for Girls. I'm really passionate about working with kids and helping people through medicine; hopefully I'll be able to combine the two someday. Outside of all of that, some of my hobbies are DIY fashion, thrift shopping, photography, and (sometimes) running. Follow me on insta! @kaelin.ray
I am a senior at Harvard College studying Applied Mathematics with a specialization in Economics, and I am planning on getting a language citation in Spanish. I am currently a co-president and campus correspondent of Harvard's chapter of Her Campus! I am also a committee chair of a student organization that works with University Health Services called HealthPALs (Peer Advisors and Liaisons). Additionally, I am a member and co-director of service in OAASIS (Organization of Asian American Sisters in Service). Apart from that, I spend a lot of my time as a Learning Lab Undergraduate Fellow at the Harvard Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. I am also the co-founder of a project at the Office of Diversity of Inclusion at Harvard. I am super passionate about math, health, and higher education! In my free time I love to work out, experiment with makeup and fashion, visit museums, and try new foods!