If you are the average college student, then you are most likely looking forward to the end of the semester and winter break. However, before we can make it to the winter break we have to survive finals week. DUN-DUN-DUN. Which means that if you are the average college student you will probably be pulling a few all-nighters before the big exams. Once the stress and the tears have gone away it is time for the highly anticipated winter break that college students have been looking forward to since they got back from Thanksgiving break. However, it can be fairly easy to be trapped in a slump where all you do is sleep and watch a few television series on Netflix. Although, some people may consider that to be the ideal break while others do not, it is not realistic to watch Netflix 24/7. Meaning that you must do other things to get you occupied.
In the following, I will provide you on ways to be productive over your winter break so that when you get back to college you will not be so worn out by the routine of everything. As well as things that you should be doing over the break that will not make it seem as boring as breaks usually are.
1. Sleep. First and foremost, the first or second day of break, meaning the day you wake up in your own house and not the day that you drive back home, should be used to get caught on some much needed sleep. Let’s face it, as college students we probably do not sleep as much as we probably need to given our schedules. Sleeping can be such a beautiful thing even though in reality we look the exact opposite with our hair in a mess, snoozing, our bodies in awkward positions, and probably drool on the side of our cheecks. However, sleeping in is great but do not over do it. Most people do not sleep until after midnight so attempt to wake up around 10am to get your day started.
2. Create a daily routine. If you do not have anything to do over the break then it will be easy to sleep until the wee hours of the afternoon. Ultimately, making you a little bit too well rested and will not make you tired until late at night. Essentially, creating a cycle of staying up too late and waking up sometime in the afternoon and repeating. However, if you have something to look forward to as you wake up then you will be more likely to actually get up. This can range from drinking coffee, eating, showering, watching Netflix, reading, working out, or checking social media. As soon as you start to do something as you wake up, the sooner you can start your day and get something out of it.
3. Work. If you have a job back in your hometown then I recommend going back to that job and getting in a few hours while you are back home. I understand that a break means not having to do anything but relax but it can also be a way to get money in your pocket. Going back to your old job can be another reason to wake up in the morning. While at your old job, you will see all your coworkers that you probably miss and be able to catch up with them. As well as friends, the parent’s of your friends, school teachers, and anyone else that you might miss or want to see. Even if you do not have an actual job, you can still babysit for people who you know that might need it, clean around the house, run errands for your parents, whatever you can do to keep busy and earn some extra cash. As mentioned before, college students are always in need of having money in their pockets.
4. Hobbies. Whatever hobbies we had before college, we probably find out that while at school, there is not always enough time to do everything that we would like to do. We learn how to set our priorities and sometimes our hobbies take the backburner to those priorities such as studying. So, while we are back home for the duration of break we have the opportunity to go back and enjoy those hobbies that we used to. If that means watching an entire series on Netflix in three days then by all means go for it. Or it could be reading for pleasure, arts and crafts, going frequently to the movies, antique hunting, and playing video games and card games. We are allowed to do all of these without feeling guilty because we know we have homework that is probably due that same day. Simply enjoy yourself while you are on break.
5. Friends. One of the best things about coming home is that you are able to spend quality time with your friends that go to another college, and your high school friends. Meaning that you two can hang out, spend time together all while catching up with everything that has happened between the both of you. Or, just inviting some friends over and talking about random topics while you are on your phone periodically showing each other what you have found on the Internet. Again, if you set plans with your friends that means you have something to look forward to and are more likely to get up instead of wasting your day in bed. Even though, sometimes that is necessary, but you cannot do that throughout your whole break.
