It's time for Spring Break 2k16! Finally, midterms are over. Tests, essays, and crippling stress are miles away, both figuratively and physically. The sun is shining, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and it’s actually warm outside!
I mean, at least, I am assuming as much, sitting here gazing out the window of my childhood bedroom. For many of you, spring break means lots of friends, fun, and tanning on the beach. For me, it means watching my brother hoverboard across the living room and whining about my cat not giving me enough attention.
While there may not be too many of you in my particular situation, I figured that I would assemble a list of tips for the few of us spending our breaks at home. Hopefully these tips will help you to have a decent spring break, even if it means less fun in the sun and more arguing with family about politics.
1. Avoid social media of any kind
This is crucial. Honestly, nothing is gonna be worse for your crippling FOMO than Snapchat stories and Instagram pics of your friends hanging out on the beach 10 hours away.
2. Remain calm
If you do end up catching a glimpse of your friend being all smiles with their sun-kissed skin, take a deep breath. It’s only a week. You can do this. They’re probably actually miserable anyway. Definitely. For sure.
3. Catch up on sleep
Literally nothing is better than this. Not only will you feel better than you have in months, you are totally free to do this because your parents will be at work and your siblings at school so no judgment!
4. Catch up on reading
If you’re like me, you’ve got an excessively long list of things you’ve been meaning to read for ages. Now that there’s no one around to distract you, what better time to dive in?
5. Start working through your Netflix queue
When you inevitably don’t end up reading anything on your list, you’re more likely to work your way through the incredibly hefty number of movies you’ve been wanting to watch.
6. Enjoy eating on your parents’ dime
I don’t even have to explain this one for college students to know why this tip is fantastic.
7. Hit all your favorite restaurants before going back to your small college town that can only boast two McDonalds’
Hopefully you already have a list of all the places you crave when you’re trapped at school so you can systematically plan out stopping by every last one of them.
8. Relish the fact that you don’t have to worry about maintaining a “beach body”
This is perhaps the greatest perk of all. You’re free to eat as much as you want, and/or lock yourself away in a dark cave until you’re basically translucent. Embrace this freedom.
9. Learn how to use Photoshop
Not only is this a super cool skill to have in your repertoire, it’s pretty necessary for enacting the following tip.
10. Photoshop all of the smiles on your friends’ pictures to make them look like frowns
Really, you’re doing them a favor, bringing out the truth of what they’re feeling. Obviously they only look like they’re smiling because the sun is making them squint! They’re actually having a terrible time. Obviously.
11. Binge eat Girl Scout cookies
‘Tis the season to binge eat the greatest gift known to man: frozen Thin Mints.
12. Think about how everyone on spring break together is probably sick of each other by now
Plus, this means that they’ll all be much happier to see you when you get back to school. Like, they probably missed you so much you’ll be suffocated with affection.
13. Show off how well you can make grilled cheese sandwiches
Don’t ever let your parents think you subsist solely on oven pizzas, and delivery pizzas, and Pizza Rolls. You’ve totally got grilled cheeses down, too.
14. Learn to make something besides grilled cheese sandwiches
Eventually, you might find yourself weary of these cheesy delights. In the chance this happens, it might benefit you to know how to cook something—anything—else.
15. Don’t let the existential dread set in
Do your laundry, play with your pet, drive around listening to your favorite boy band, just whatever you do, don’t let it set in.
16. Spend time with your family
They miss you more than you probably know. And you definitely miss them more than you'll admit.
17. Just try to enjoy yourself
Do the stuff this break that make you happy. Ultimately, nothing matters more than just doing what you want to do, especially now that you’re free from the fast-paced college lifestyle for a bit.
