Spring break is one of those deeply anticipated times where during the days leading up to break, you think about all the things that you can’t wait to do. When spring break comes to an end, you wonder why they would even give you a taste of this and then you find yourself eagerly waiting for summer (at least this is the case for many of us). I know a couple of people who would rather not have spring break at all just because of the fact that they know of the lazy routine they would fall into and never fully come out of when classes start again. Personally, I desperately needed this break to be a little lazy for a few days before I got swamped again with assignments and homework. Towards the end of my break, I realized a couple of things. Â
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Definitely Spend Money on Experiences
The last time I had gone anywhere for a few days without my parents was almost a year ago, so I had to take some time to think about whether or not I wanted to go on another trip. I had decided to go to Pennsylvania in the beginning of break with a couple of friends. To have this type of freedom to make bigger decisions for yourself with a group of people to experience a place that is different from home is definitely something memorable. A few people told me that the approximate amount of money I would spend on the trip is costly, especially being a trip that was only a couple of days. I had thought about it and quite honestly, if you have the chance to come back home to talk about experiences and moments that were significant enough, then the cost of the trip should not be the very first thing that worries you. Of course you should begin saving up ahead of time to make sure you can cover your costs, but if you do have the financial support, definitely do not hesitate to spend money on something that will leave you with something to talk about.
There Simply Isn’t Enough Time
Regardless of how busy your semester is, there is a good chance that you have some sort of test or assignment you should be getting a head start at during spring break. Or maybe it would have been a good idea to get started on that final study packet you were thinking about starting for that one class. Personally speaking, I probably should have planned my shadowing schedule around my studying schedule a little better during break, rather than clumping together a few days. To many of us, 8 or 9 days may seem that it’s a huge chunk of time to do anything you would like to. But when the last few days don’t seem so far anymore, time passes by pretty quickly and then you suddenly think you could have planned out the free time better. So yes, I’m saying I could have planned better in terms of organizing my time during break.
Many Things in Life Are Temporary
This one probably sounds really bizarre, but let me explain why this one stuck out to me the most. I started shadowing at North Shore University Hospital this January as part of an internship through the religion department at Hofstra. This is probably one of the most rewarding internships I have involved myself in considering that I meet with patients (and families of patients if they are present in the room) I have never met before and I get to listen to any spiritual concerns or any general happiness they wish to share with me. I shadowed for a couple of days straight this break and I caught myself telling a patient that I might stop by later this week since I will be around. I realized that just because I will be here, doesn’t mean the patient will be too. I thought about how brief my encounter was and that there was a big chance I might not see that person ever again. Then of course my mind wandered, and I thought about how almost any encounter is temporary but what comes out of those encounters and the impacts of them have lasting effects on certain people. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic at all, but it’s just something to think about.
We all know that spring semester tends to be the semester where everyone is probably most excited about what plans they will have during spring break. I don’t doubt that many of you took advantage of the break to relax and to spend some quality time with family and friends you don’t get to see as often when classes are in session. The eagerness is almost inevitable when it comes to it, and now you’ll probably feel something similar about summer break.