As someone who is constantly busy, spring break was something I was really looking forward to. I took time off of work, packed up my shorts in preparation for the escape from the cold New England weather for 90 degrees Florida weather and did everything I could to make sure I would have the time of my life.
And don’t get me wrong, I absolutely had a great time. Unlike some of my peers who spent their spring breaks in places like Cancun, Miami, or Nashville, I joined my parents and sister in Orlando for a family vacation to Disney and Universal. It had been four years since we had all been on a real vacation together, and with it being my final year of college, we all wanted a chance to feel like kids again.
Based on my experience, I compiled a list of dos and don’ts for your future spring break trip — wherever that may be.
Spring Break Don’ts:
- Don’t fill every minute of your day with things to do
Including our days of travel, we spent early in the morning until nighttime avidly doing things. We would walk at least 15,000 steps each day, and by the time we got home, we were exhausted. While we had a ton of fun, there was never any downtime and didn’t leave our vacation feeling any more rested than we did before.
- Don’t forget to wear sunscreen if you’re headed somewhere sunny
I left the gross New England weather behind and went to Orlando, where there was sun and a UV above five every day. I wanted to get a tan just as much as the next person, but it’s still important to protect yourself from the sun! You can still get a tan when wearing sunscreen, and no one wants to spend their spring break writhing in pain from sun poisoning.
- Don’t bring work with you
In the age of remote work and school, it can be hard to find that work-life balance, especially during your time off. You might be tempted to check your school’s learning platform like Canvas or your work’s communication system like Slack or Teams, but that is only taking you away from the rest you should be getting! Work and school will still be there when you get back, and as long as they know you’re on vacation, your coworkers and classmates should respect that healthy boundary you are setting.
Spring Break Do’s:
- Do bring water with you everywhere
Depending on where you’re spring-breaking, water can be expensive! As someone who chose to go somewhere that water was $5 for a small bottle, the best thing I did was fill up my 32-ounce water bottle before I went and brought it in with me. While it won’t last the whole day, it’ll save you money in the long run!
- Do find ways to be budget-friendly as a college student
Everyone always talks about how fun spring break can be, but never how expensive it is! Before you travel, try to get a sense of how much money you think you’ll spend and compare that to how much money you’re prepared to spend. This can easily be done by creating an itinerary for yourself for the week in Excel or Google Sheets through pre-made budgeting templates.
- Do take advantage of fun opportunities
This should go without saying, but this is the one week in the spring semester where you can be free from the pressures of being a college student! If something comes up that you’re even remotely interested in doing while on spring break, say YES! You’ll be creating memories to carry with you for a lifetime and you never know what could come from it.
