Spring Break starts this weekend, but let me bestow upon the freshmen useful tips to do before AND during Spring Break!

BEFORE SPRING BREAK...

1. Do as much homework as possible!

This is probably the ONLY time I will give advice about staying up late. Trust me when you don't want to have a lot of homework to do while you're gone. So, get as much homework done now, and for the week you come back. Sleep is important, but you will catch up on that and more when you go on break.

2. Take home stuff you don't need right now!

When you move out at the end of the semester, you are going to have a LOT of stuff. Take some stuff you don't need right now home with you (clothes, decorations, miscellaneous items you don't use, extra books, shoes). It'll save you time and car space at the end of the semester! You don't want to be doing the below picture (even though he's being pretty economical!)

DURING SPRING BREAK...

1. Get ready for advising!

When we come back from Spring Break, it's going to be time to start selecting your classes for next semester. Check your Degree Works to see what you should probably take next semester, or you can schedule a meeting with your advisor ahead of time when you come back. This is one of the more stressful times of the semester besides midterms and finals.

2. Get ready for finals!

I know this is really early to say, but preparation is the key to not suffering during finals week. We'll be near the end of March when we come back, and time will fly. By preparing, just start mapping when each final or project is on your calendar. By doing this, you can start putting together a study schedule (if you're that type of person), or just having an awareness of what you need to do!

3. Get ready for school in general!

Spring Break has this weird effect of lulling you into a sense of comfort, so when you come back to Winthrop, it's a punch in the gut. Professors are going to hit the ground running, and you need to as well. What I recommend is spreading out the workload over break (if you have some), because depending on when you leave, you have 10 days to yourself! That should be enough time to take a breather and be productive!

Again, I say this because I don't want freshmen going through the same experience I did when I came back from Spring Break. If you're a good time manager, or you just keep on top of yourself, you can both relax and be ready for school when break is over! Good luck and have fun!