Don’t let the gloomy weather and the dark cloud of finals fool you—spring break is right around the corner! For some of us, that means plans with our friends, visiting our family, or traveling the world. For others, including myself, we don’t know how to entertain ourselves for an entire week. Spending spring break alone isn’t as depressing as people make it out to be. It’s a great opportunity to work on yourself and do all the things you never have time for during the busy quarter system! Here are 10 things to do alone during spring break.
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Catch up on your shows, not assignments. The quarter system is no joke. If you miss a class, you’re constantly playing catch up. That means having to take away some of your leisure time to compensate for extra study time. Now that it’s spring break and you don’t have to drag yourself to class, you can easily catch up. Watch all your favorite shows and any movies so you’re not as tempted to binge watch during syllabus week!
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Try something new! When was the last time you did something you enjoyed just for fun? With a whole week off, you can express interest in a hobby. Get into something you never normally would. Life is super short and the amount of time you have just for yourself is even more limited. Pick up a paintbrush, try writing a short story, learn how to change a flat tire! No matter what you try, as long as you have fun, there is no time lost.
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Read…for FUN! Yes, I know. Reading something that isn’t a textbook sounds insane. I know a lot of people aren’t readers, but something that is really cool about books is the fact that you are able to create how you see the story. Ever see a movie and think, “Oh my god, there was absolutely no diversity with the cast.” With books, you create your own cast! You’re able to imagine the settings and the characters however you see fit. Every time you read a book, you see it in a new light. And you get to learn cool new words to impress all your friends—definitely a bonus.
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Clean and reorganize your space. I’m not gonna lie—during the quarter, my room looks like someone tried to rob me, then realized I don’t have anything worth stealing, tore up my room for wasting their time, and then left. Most students don’t have time to clean up because they’re so busy running from one activity to another. During spring break, do some spring cleaning! Go through your closet and donate anything you haven’t worn in more than a year. Try thinking of ways to organize your space to encourage tidiness for the future! I recently bought a couple foldable boxes from Ikea to organize my tops that don’t need hanging. It helps for when you need to get ready quickly and don’t have time to go through tons of different outfit possibilities.
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Explore! Hanging out by yourself is super underrated. People are worried about looking “lonely” if they go out to a restaurant by themselves or to a park alone. It’s really great to take a break from everything and take a walk or go to a coffee shop and experience life for yourself and by yourself. Bonus tip: stay off your phone! Try to talk to people. Strike up a conversation with someone and learn something from them. We all carry stories with us, it’s pretty cool to hear what others have to say.
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Get a head start on next quarter. Spring quarter is super tempting. The weather is nicer, your friends are back, and there’s more activities going on (hellooooo picnic day!). A tip that I feel helps a lot is to study some general material before spring quarter starts. Look up podcasts, the syllabus, and lecture notes. There are tons of resources. Jump on it so you’re not falling behind when the new quarter starts!
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Learn new, healthy recipes! I’m super guilty of eating out when I’m in a rush. Now that you’re on spring break, you can experiment with different meals that are easy to prepare and good for you as well.
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Exercise. Physical activity is good for you. You don’t need to have a weight goal or have the desire to get thinner (love how you look, ladies!), but a half hour or so of light exercise added into your routine instantly lifts your mood and gets the blood flowing! Taking a quick walk or doing some light cardio gets you out in the spring sunshine and can make you feel more productive and energized. Try incorporating this new addition once the quarter starts back again. It might be hard at first—but it makes for a great study break!
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Daydream! You’re always caught daydreaming in class, but now that you’re on break, dream away. Set some long-term goals. Think of clubs and organizations that you would like to be in next year. Research where you’d like to work, go to school, or vacation to once your time at UC Davis is done. Having a brief outline helps to keep you on track and relieves the stress (somewhat) of what to say when people ask you what you’re going to do when you graduate.
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Volunteer your time. Getting a job for a week might be a little difficult, but volunteering is extremely rewarding. Volunteer at an animal shelter, a retirement home, or other causes that mean something to you. Can’t find an organization or clinic? Help a neighbor out with things around the house. Visit those that are elderly or lonely and need a little assistance with tasks. Ask people if they need their pets watched or their dogs washed!
As you get older, you realize that the time that you have alone becomes less and less common. Time alone is extremely important because it helps you to develop who you are as a person, and discover what it really is in life that you’re passionate about. Have a great spring break, loves! We’ll see you all spring quarter.