In Defense of Spring Break:
As I write this, I’m reflecting on my train ride to get on a plane to go on a spring break trip with my best friends. This is probably not surprising to some people, but to me it is. For the last several years I have had opportunities to go on life changing trips with my peers, however I’ve had serious reservations about going, which lead to me opt out. Whether it was lack of funds or pressure from my parents or my own anxiety, I ended up staying home and having to watch my friends have a great time. Finally this year, I decided that if I didn’t go now, I might never do it. I know that traveling on spring break is a first world luxury that many cannot afford and I am very thankful that I am in a position to go (for those who are not, there are many spring break trips arranged through universities that offer scholarships that would be a great idea to check out!). No matter where you are able to go, taking spring break to travel or do something fun is a very important part of the college experience.
Taking some time off school to relax is great for mental health. Being able to unwind after midterms for a few days is vital if you want to succeed in the rest of the semester without burning out. I did work on homework for at least a few days over break (and I would encourage others to as well) but I gave myself ample time to relax without the stresses of school taking over my life.
There will always be opportunities to travel, but none will be the same as when you are in college. It’s unlikely that any career will allow you to take a whole week off to travel and even if you can, it would be almost impossible to coordinate with your friends in order to travel together. College is the perfect time to travel, even if money is tight, because we have the energy and the time off of school.
Planning for spring break also taught me a lot about budgeting. Who would have thought that it cost so much to travel? I’m only kidding, but it did surprise me how many small expenses I hadn’t considered when traveling with my parents. Because I paid for my entire trip myself, I have really learned how to stretch my money and make smart purchases. I also learned about the value of my time and how many hours I had to work to pay for my trip. These insights are all valuable skills for the future.
Spring break is basically Christmas for college students so make the most of it. Even if you can’t travel somewhere exciting, you can visit friends at another school or family in another state, go to a concert, or go on a road trip. Take the time off of school to relax and dream about summer (only a few more months to go!!).