Nothing, and I mean nothing, is worse than sitting in class three days before a well-deserved spring break and getting hit with these unforgivable words:
“I’m giving you an assignment to complete over the break.”
Now, before the warm images of soaking under the sun begin to fade and are instead replaced with all the not-so-nice words you’d like to say to your professor, take a very deep breath. Even though over-the-break assignments should be illegal (because what’s the point of a break if I’m not 100% mentally checked out of school?), they don’t have to ruin anything. It’s all about shifting your mentality and planning your approach. Here are some tips on how to slay these assignments so that you can focus on living your best life during spring break:
Step 1: Create a game plan
Planning when you’re going to get the work done is the first step to securing the success of your break. Ask yourself, what day am I the least busy? Set aside a designated time when you’re going to sit down and grind it out, but don’t forget to put a reminder in your phone!!! I can’t stress that enough because if you’re anything like me, sometimes certain responsibilities (especially the ones you really don’t want to do) will slip your mind with a quickness.
You can also spread the work out over a longer period of time by setting aside time when you first wake up or before you go to sleep. However, I personally recommend imagining you’re Muhammad Ali and knocking it out in one fell swoop.
Step 2: Create your own adventure
This is the part where you have to shift your mentality and kind of trick yourself into believing that getting this assignment was ultimately a blessing in disguise. If you think about it, it gives you the perfect opportunity to explore your surroundings!
By going into town in search of a cool place to work, you open yourself up to discovering a comforting little coffee shop on the corner, or an open park in the center of a city. And if you “accidentally” happen to stumble upon a cute clothing store after you finish, that wouldn’t hurt either. After all, we deserve to treat ourselves for making good decisions during a time that’s specially designated for making bad ones. Ultimately, finding a good atmosphere to work in is key to making the process as painless as possible.
Step 3: Don’t procrastinate!
Easier said than done, trust me I know. But once you get the hard part out of the way, you can focus on what’s truly important—restoring your mind and involving yourself in questionable activities that you may or may not regret in the morning.
Step 4: Reclaim your time
Don’t let the true purpose of going on spring break be clouded by a pesky paper or project. Reclaim your time by creating a game plan, creating your own adventure, and not procrastinating!
There will always be little hiccups in life, but if you face it head-on, it can never stand in the way of what makes you happy. Happy spring break everyone!