The week-long hiatus from Blackboard, the seven days of some of your most questionable behavior and a stretch of time where you blissfully forgot you have any sort of responsibilities besides laying on the sand nursing a Bubba Keg.
A way to revive us from our mid-second semester slump and give us seven days to make sinful decisions in a different setting. Spring break is the week we all pretended to diet for, the week we've had highlighted in our planner since August and the week that served as a beacon of hope during midterms.
However, all good things come to an end and spring break has finally come to a close. Students leave behind their sand-dusted and beer-stained condos to return to campus a new tanner version of themselves with a lot more regrets.
After a few days of battle crying how lit the beach is, it's time to return to the fluorescent-lit lecture halls. It's a depressing reality check, but it can be managed with a few survival tips.
1. Remember Why Your School Is The Best.
Crawling back through the city limits of your college campus after break is the equivalent to the same depressing feeling of taking down the Christmas tree. However, you chose your campus because it's better than all of the other campuses, so concentrate less on the lack of ocean waves and more on why you go to the best college in the country. Besides, you're in college, and there's a direct correlation between freedom and college, just like there is with spring break. Except now you're just not on a beach making bad choices.
2. Unpack As Soon As Possible.
After lugging your suitcase up your apartment stairs, the first thing you want to do is climb in your bed and try to make up for all the nights you missed out on sleep. Don't do it. Open your suitcase and start unpacking the clumps of mysteriously-stained clothing. It's depressing walking past your suitcase every day on your way to class. Better to rip the band-aid off sooner than later.
3. Don't Post A TBT For A While.
To be honest, there's a selfish ulterior behind this one. First of all, most of you posted six plus photos of you with the same people, in the same bathing suit every day for six consecutive days. So maybe it's time to do less with the strategic-angled and not-so-actually candid, bikini-clad Instas. But, really a #tbt or wishing I was here and not studying for this Econ test! throwbacks really do nothing but make post-spring break depression worse. 200 plus likes might be good for quenching your social media thirst, but it only fuels your mourning.
4. Go To The Pool ASAP.
The first afternoon that you don't have class or have that class that doesn't take attendance: head to your nearest pool, preferably with a cooler of whatever beverages taste like all those bad decisions made during spring break. Not only will it help with keeping your tan in tact, but cutting cold turkey from spending days indulging in vitamin D and fruity drinks isn't healthy.
5. Look At Your Bank Account.
Now this probably won't be too good of a morale booster, but it will definitely be a good reminder that spring break really should be limited to one week. The more mild bar atmosphere outweighs the overpriced cover and drinks you spent a week justifying because you were on vacation. The $20 nachos didn't taste nearly as good as Moe's way cheaper ones and you realize your $30 henna "No Ragrets" tattoo is very regretful. Staring at your single-digit bank statement, you realize it's probably best you came home when you did.
6. Find A Nice Scenic Location For Homework.
Use your resources wisely. I'm not just referring to the park where you do your bi-annual jog or that one hill that everyone "hikes" for a granola Instagram. Be creative. Trade in the over-crowded and over-heated beach filled with tan boys for the over-crowded and over-heated library filled with tan boys. Boys drinking coffee and pretending to do homework is no postcard, but it is a nice view for when you're tired of staring at your textbook.
7. Get Back To Your Routine.
Not setting an alarm for a week is one of those blessings you realize you took for granted when you return back to school. However, set your alarm and plan on getting back to your typical routine of staying up too late Netflix-ing, waking up late and slinking to class. The sooner you get back to normal, and the less you skip class, the more likely chance of you healing from your break-up with Gulf Shores easier.
8. Don't Listen To Your Spring Break Playlist.
Give yourself some proper healing time. Don't play it in the car and don't play it at your next pregame. It's like listening to that song you and your ex-deemed "our song" after you break up. It's unhealthy and will make you miss something you're not going to get back anytime soon.
9. Enjoy Comfort Food.
All break ups, whether it be with a tropical vacation or with a former fling, can be healed with food. Really anything can be healed with food. Go to your favorite, non-chain restaurant in your town to hash out the previous week's gossip over one-of-a-kind, greasy food named after your school colors or something. Spring break is over too so you can eat the fried food named after your school's fight song with no regrets.
10. Start Planning Your Next Spring Break.
The early bird gets the worm and at least it gives you something to procrastinate that homework with.
On the bright side, only 51 more weeks till the next spring break!
