We've all heard the wild stories of college students spring breaks; the exotic locations, the wild hookups, the seemingly never-ending days of sunshine and parties. It sounds fun, exciting, and probably filled with a great lapse in judgment- exactly what so many of us college students dream of and crave after our midterms from hell.
However, I don't think these juicy tales we've heard about from our older friends and countless tv shows really tell us the truth about what spring break is actually like for the average college student.
Let's be honest, most of us are broke.
A lot of us don't have the privilege to lounge around Turks and Caicos for a week, let alone make it to the nearest beach to our house. Things cost money, too much money, and I know plenty of college kids that would rather have a summer packed with adventure than an expensive week away that will only make them long for summer more.
Most of us are busy, too! Some of us have jobs we have to go to, others have family responsibilities, and a lot of us have friends we would love to enjoy a week away with, but our spring breaks unfortunately just don't align.
For most of us, our spring break will consist of traveling back home, sleeping in until noon most days, and forgetting about the essays we have due the following week. It will be filled with days playing with our dogs and avoiding our old high school classmates when we inevitably see them at the local Walmart or our towns favorite restaurant. Although none of this sounds as lavish or as entertaining as traveling somewhere new or sunny, it's the reality for most of us and it's perfectly okay!
Not all of us have the luxury to have a mind-blowing spring break. If you do, that's great! Enjoy it, live it up!
If you're in the same boat as plenty of the rest of us, however, don't feel bad about it. No one really cares how cool your spring break was; we're all too focused on our own relaxation and our own joy. You can feel just as peaceful and relaxed on your couch, wrapped up in your favorite blanket, as someone chilling in bed at their beachfront hotel for the week.
Spring break isn't a competition for who can do the cooler, more expensive thing. It should be a time to de-stress and unwind. While the reality of most college students' spring break isn't as glamorous or wild as the media wants us to believe, it's still pretty damn good. It's still a week away from school! That's all that matters.
