Picture this.
It’s your first spring break in college! You’re halfway through your second semester ever, and you’re more than ready to head out of town for the week for some good ol’ fun and relaxation. Your friends are packing for Miami or trying on swimsuits for their tropical cruises… but you? You’re folding laundry to go home four hours away where it’s just as cold yet somehow even more boring.
This is currently my reality. Now, I could wallow in self pity; spending my spring break curled up in my childhood covers… or…. I could find a way to ensure productivity during these next 10 days. Below is a list of 7 things to do when you don’t have an adventurous or luxurious vacation planned for your spring break!
Sort through old clothes, paperwork, and other items clogging up your childhood bedroom!
Me, personally? I have a pile of paperwork under my desk consisting of a plethora of academic memories; such as old tests, essays, or science labs. The papers are reflective of my high school career, which is now long gone. It is time for those papers to find their rightful place in the trash, where they belong. Except that calculus test I aced. That is getting framed.
Spend quality time with family and friends from home!
This may seem like a given, but it’s important for every college kid to use their limited time at home wisely. Instead of sitting in your bed all day, go sit with mom or dad and watch a movie. Call up a friend from middle school and catch up over coffee. It’s important to keep those relationships alive when you don’t live at home anymore!
Pamper yourself!
You don’t have any plans? Awesome! This means a promised week of relaxation. You have no events you have to attend; no timelines to follow. Use this rare period of leisure to your advantage! Take a long and deserved bath, buy that face mask you’ve always wanted and give your pores a treat, go out and get your nails done! There are countless ways to treat yourself… you’ve almost survived two semesters of college… you deserve this!
Go for a drive around your hometown!
As I attend a college located right in the heart of Boston, having a car on campus is out of the question. For many first year college students, regardless of where their campus is located, their beloved mobiles must stay at home. Their right of passage to adulthood must collect dust in their driveways, waiting anxiously to be driven again. Can you tell I miss my car? Take a nice, long, and safe (!) drive around the town you left behind. Visit your favorite spots, listen to your old favorite songs; drive down the roads of nostalgia!
Pick up some old hobbies!
One of the worst parts about going off to college is leaving behind particular hobbies in order to focus on your academic work. For me, that hobby was playing the violin. I played all throughout high school, however I couldn’t fit music into my college schedule. Whether you left behind an instrument, sport, or a simple pass-time activity; now is the time to brush up on that hobby!
Eat well!
Did someone say mom’s cooking? One of the best parts about returning home from college is the array of home-cooked meals at your service from the hands of a loving mother who has been patiently waiting to feed her college kid. Go out and get the food that is famous in your hometown; that your college campus just can’t get right, no matter how hard they try. As a Long Island resident, I know I’ll be purchasing a bagel every morning to makeup for the months of decent bagel deprivation I’ve been facing.
Work out!
This may seem to contrast my last tip, but take this week off to focus on your physical health! Perhaps you find your college schedule too busy to find time to make it to the gym… or you’re like me, and you have a deep fear of gyms. Whatever it may be, now is the time to take advantage of the privacy of your room, neighborhood park, private gym… whatever! Nothing makes you feel more productive and proud than a work-out. Plus, with all mom’s home-cooked meals, this will come in handy.
A “stay-cation” doesn’t have to be boring. You have the power to make the most out of a “boring” week. Remember, the main purpose of a spring break is to relax, college kid! Prioritize your mental health and allow your brain the week off. Happy relaxing!