Like myself, many college students stay on campus during fall break because the ride home doesn’t seem worth it. It's either that or your parents are vacationing in Hawaii slurping something with a lot of alcohol with a tiny umbrella on top without you.

Chances are that a lot of your friends don’t have the same problems as you do and they get to stay with their families over the next five days while you are left in your dorm room with nothing but a box of goldfish and Netflix to keep you company.

The worst part is it feels lonely and depressing and you’ll find you have no idea what to do with yourself except wait until school is back in session and everyone returns back to their normal routine. I’ve been there and will be going through the same things as you with the occasional company of my sister. So here I am to offer tips on how to keep that depression and loneliness at bay long enough for your break to end.

1. Go buy ingredients to bake.

Baking is a time-consuming activity with a sweet end result. My building has a kitchen on every even numbered floor, so I’ll be making caramel pecan cookies while I have the building almost completely to myself. Even waiting to shop for food can be fun because it gives you something to do and will take up almost half of your day. Also no one can judge you for eating twelve cookies in two days because no one is around to see you do it!

2. Catch up on school work.

You may believe that no one else is doing their homework while they are back in their rooms at home, but every person has the same idea: If I do it now, I won’t have to do it later. So, when break is over, you will be able to hang out with your friends instead of doing the work you could have done while you were doing nothing.

Remember: fall break isn’t free time, your professors still expect you to be doing your homework like it was any other weekend.

3. Tie-Dye.

About a week ago I went on Amazon looking for something to decorate my room with. I already settled on a flag for fallen police officers and fire fighters and a six-piece set of six-foot fairy lights for photography purposes, but I couldn’t find out what to buy with the extra $10 I needed to spend to get my free shipping.

Then I remembered, my sister invited me over to tie-dye our white clothes. That is when I realized the perfect thing to add to my room: a tie-dyed flag. My sister and I cut a deal that if I bought two white flags, she would buy the tie-dye set.

So over break whenever it is sunny outside we will be taking our plain white flags and making them into colorful swirly canvases to hang up on our walls. I might even tie-dye a pair of ugly white shorts that I paid $30 for just to entice myself into wearing them.

4. Sleep.

It’s simple, we are college students who are always complaining about not getting enough sleep, so why not catch up finally? Also, the days go by much faster if you are knocked out.

5. Watch Netflix.

Or even Hulu if you’re like me and got it included with your Spotify. Watch the movies you told yourself you would watch when you added them to your list three years ago. Maybe you'll want to binge watch the shows you were too embarrassed to play around your roommates. With Netflix you’ll be relaxing and passing your time by without the anxiety of the immediate school work hovering over your head and forgetting that you’re actually all alone.

6. Exercise.

We all tell ourselves we’ll use the gym at our schools, but then people ask you to hang out, your cafeteria food fills up your daily caloric intake, and finally papers and studying hover over your head until you just lost the time to do exercise and the need to go to the gym becomes a distant memory. Now if you are using the gym your school provides like I do, it'll probably be closed over break. But that shouldn’t stop you from walking around campus or town with your earbuds in and working your body to make a better you. Staying inside all week isn't healthy. You need to go out and get proactive and make sure that the fall break doesn't make you break any new weight gaining records.

7. Go shopping for new clothes.

I’m a big fan of going to thrift stores and finding great clothes at a cheap price. Thrift stores are like treasure chests, you don't know what you'll find. Just since I got to college I found the perfect sport sweater for only $4 in a small Goodwill.

Luckily my sister expresses the same interest as me, so to fill up one of our days over break we are going to travel to Richmond and hit up the larger thrift stores. I don’t plan on returning to my dorm without at least one thing I’m excited to wear, or plan on wearing as a Halloween costume.

And if you’re not on a budget or just don’t enjoy thrift shopping, go to your local mall or other department stores and get something new. You’ll be happy to be spending your day getting something you know looks good on you and that you can show off around campus.

8. Sit in public or around your dorm and meet new people.

I’m not shy to the point of being nervous to talk to new people, but I know I’m not comfortable enough to sit in my residence hall’s lobby watching Netflix waiting to strike up a conversation with someone.

However, if you are an extrovert or a very brave introvert, try hanging out where you are likely to pass by people in the same boat as you and seeing if they want to go get McDonald's or hang out together.

Maybe you see that one girl who may or may not be in your history class sitting alone? Talk to her!

Chances are they are having just as miserable a time as you are stuck in a college dorm with no friends in sight. You never know, maybe they are the best friend you never met.

9. Volunteer.

Help yourself by helping others. Go online and check up places that need help. Our local Moton museum has expressed their need for volunteers and the county my college is in is not a prosperous one, so you know that there are less fortunate souls that can benefit from your time. Someone is always in need of help and instead of being involved with yourself and only staying inside finding things to do, use your time to reach out and get involved in your community.

10. Buy a fish.

If you still can’t find any friends or places you can hang out at, go buy a fish. He’ll be your companion and be just as lonely as you are. Just make sure you know you can care for him or else I would recommend investing in some glue, a rock, and googly eyes.

11. Go to Church.

You have been away from your family for about two months now, I’m sure you did something bad, so you better start getting good with the lord or whoever else you believe in.