It’s that time of the year when college students across the nation are jetsetting to tropical places for a bit of sand, sun and fun. But while some students are dipping their toes into the ocean, others are returning home with no set plans. Here are some things you can do if you’re staying local this spring break.
1. Have a potluck dinner!
Spring break is a great time to get together with friends you haven’t seen in a while and catch up. A great way to save money but get all your girlfriends together for dinner is to have a potluck! Tell your friends to experiment with new recipes and ingredients, so everyone brings something different to the table!
“A good place to find recipes is on Pinterest,” Samar Ayyub, a sophomore elementary education major said. “I’ve been looking at recipes that are healthy, intricate or interesting. I found a lot of different salads with mixed vegetables and ingredients that I didn’t think would mix together, but look really good and healthy.” She noted that because it is getting warmer, fresh fruit and veggies are more likely to be on shelves in the supermarket, providing more of a variety of ingredients to work with.
2. Get your spring cleaning done!
Ransack your closet and drawers and get rid of the things you know you won’t wear again. You can bring out-of-style clothing to the thrift store or local charity instead of throwing it out. Now the fun part! Take advantage of the nice weather and find an outdoor shopping area to revamp your wardrobe—or just window shop! Strip malls, outdoor outlet centers and big cities are great for walking around and perusing the racks.
“My friends and I are planning to go to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore to shop,” freshman biology major Esha Sirkar said. “If it’s nice out, it’s a great place to go and walk around and buy some new things for the spring.”
3. Plan something to do over summer break.
So what you didn’t go anywhere for spring break? Over spring break, plan a mini-vacation for the end of May when the semester ends! You can go on a road trip to a city you’ve never been, stay near the ocean or a lake or go camping!
According to U.S. Travel News, many South Florida and Caribbean destinations are more popular for winter and spring vacations, so summer is a great time to get cheap deals on airfare and hotels. May is also before the heavy travel season in the summer, so crowds won’t be as large and you can relax after school is done!
4. Go see the midnight showing of The Hunger Games.
Suzanne Collins’ novel-turned-movie The Hunger Games is in theaters on Friday, March 23. The novel, set in a post-apocalyptic America, focuses on the Hunger Games, an event in which one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 fight until the other is dead. Take the earlier part of the week to read the book, then go see the movie at midnight on Friday! Make sure you buy tickets in advance for this nail-biting flick!
There is plenty to do if you’re not going away for spring break. Make the most of your time at home and have fun!