Photo by Becca Tapert
Everyone has been counting down the days until spring break, and now it is almost here! Some of your friends might be going on cool, exotic vacations with their families, making your break at home seem a little dull. But, do not just mope around watching Netflix all break–there are plenty of cool, inexpensive activities to do, even if you are a broke college student.
1. Go on a hike—take your dog for a walk or grab a friend and go hiking. Discover beautiful mountains, woods or lakes near you while getting in a good workout.
2. Go to a museum—there are many museums that are free for students either all day or for certain hours. Find one near you and make a day out of it. You may even learn something interesting!
3. Go on a road trip—gather a ton of friends and hit the road! If you split the cost of gas among a ton of people, this is an inexpensive way to travel over break and is a fun little vacation with your bffs.
4. Visit coffee shops—if you are a caffeine addict, you will want to know where to get the best coffee near you. Visit all the coffee shops near you and spend the day people-watching, coffee tasting, and even reading/studying if you have schoolwork over break.
5. Have a photoshoot—get all of your friends to dress up in cute outfits with you and find trendy wall murals, cafes, gardens or other cute backdrops that can totally spice up your Instagram feed.
6. Explore—there is so much to do near you that you do not realize, whether you live in a big city or small town. Walk around your area and discover all the cool places you took for granted when you were in high school.
7. Go on a long drive—odds are you have not seen your friends from home in a while and have a lot to catch up on. Go for a long drive and blast your favorite music, sharing all the crazy college stories you wish they were there for.
8. Watch old movies– I know I said not to watch Netflix all break, but it can be fun to spend one day watching old movies. Pick a movie to watch from every decade in the past 50 or so years. Maybe you will discover a new favorite movie!
9. Have a Picnic—make some sandwiches, grab some friends and hit the park after all the kids leave. You can bring a game like “Cards Against Humanity” or “What Do You Meme,” or you can actually play in the park because you are never too old for swings.
10. Try new recipes— Instead of spending money on food, cook or bake all day. This can be fun to do by yourself or with friends. Find new recipes. Now you can have something to eat while watching all those movies!
11. Go to the city— You do not have to live near New York City or LA to spend a day in the city. Find a city near you and see if they offer walking tours. Usually, they are cheap and afterwards you can visit all the fun places you passed on the way.
12. Go to the beach— If you live near a beach or lake, go watch the sunset over the water. It may be too cold to actually lay out on the sand, but you can still walk around for a relaxing atmosphere and a beautiful view.
13. Watch the sunrise— Wake up early one day (force your friends to, also) and go somewhere to watch the sunrise. It will be worth the few hours of lost sleep, and you can start your day early and feeling productive.
14. Spring clean— Clean out old junk and go through clothes that you do not wear or that are out of style. Donate them or upcycle things, like cutting jeans into distressed shorts. You can even use this time to redecorate if you are getting bored of your room. When you come back home at the end of the year, you can start the summer in a clean room.
15. Have a garage sale— Spring cleaning means you will be left with a lot of stuff you do not need anymore. Host a garage sale and invite your friends to sell their things too. It is a great way to get rid of old stuff and make a little money, which we can all use as college students.
16. Volunteer— Find a local shelter, soup kitchen or a nursing home to volunteer at for the day. It does not cost any money, can be fun and it will make you happy to know you did a good deed.
17. Find cheap places— Go bowling, do an escape room, or go to a trampoline park—find any inexpensive place that allows you to get out of the house and get active!
18. Make a bucket list— Plan out a ton of things you want to do this summer or by the end of 2018. Use colored pens and print out pictures for inspiration. Put it all on a board and make checkboxes next to each item, motivating you to accomplish items on the list!
19. Have a bonfire— Prepare for those chilly summer nights with a bonfire and s’mores! This is a fun end of break activity to do with all your friends, telling stories and spending the last night together before you go back to college.