This weekend will mark the leadup to something students await every spring semester: the infamous spring break trip.
Maybe you’re one of the hundreds of 5C students currently envisioning your plan to tan and sip cocktails at an all-inclusive resort in Cabo next week. Or you’re throwing on your winter jacket and indulging in the après-ski nightlife of Mammoth. Whatever your plans may consist of, the reality is that most students at the 5Cs have an idea of how to enjoy this coming week — and oftentimes, it’s an expensive one involving a large friend group.
If the plots of movies and TV shows are any indication, raging college spring break trips have been around for decades. With the rise of social media, the pressure to participate in one of these gloriously untamed spring break weeks has only gotten worse. There’s almost an unspoken expectation that anyone who is “fun” will have crazy stories to corroborate it.
However, for many students, a spring break trip isn’t feasible or even desirable.
Apart from the obvious monetary concerns, there are so many other potential reasons why students may choose not to go on spring break this year. For some, it may be the realization that a mental break from college is much needed, and the best remedy for that is resting at home for the week.
Others may have hometown friends they’re planning to reunite with or pets they miss. Personally, I can’t wait to snuggle up on the couch with my dog and read for a week straight without school assignments looming over my head. That being said, if you are struggling with your decision to not go on a spring break trip, these are the tips I suggest you keep in mind.
“With the rise of social media, the pressure to participate in one of these gloriously untamed spring break weeks has only gotten worse.“
First tip: Prepare for the potential of FOMO (fear of missing out). Your besties and peers will definitely be posting the highlights of their trips, painting them as one of the best weeks of their lives. When the overwhelming amount of spring break photos begin popping up on social media, you may worry that you’re the only odd one out at home or even wonder if you are somehow approaching college “wrong.”
Fortunately, despite what social media may show, the genuinely perfect spring break trip will be few and far between: There are so many other students who are in the exact same boat as you. Remember that social media glamorizes everything. My advice: Turn off Instagram for the week and focus on having fun at home, on campus or wherever you may be.
Second tip: Find something new and exciting. Maybe while you’re home, you decide to go explore a nearby town or city you’ve never been to or pick up a fresh hobby. Finding interesting ways to divert your attention will make it easier to not compare your spring break to others’. Just because you’re at home or on campus doesn’t mean you can’t still be entertained!
Third tip: Use this week to your advantage and take a pause. Considering the final stretch of school post-break will be inundated with midterms and then finals, it may be a good idea for you to head back home and rest for a week.
Going home doesn’t mean that you’re lamer than any other college kid or that you’re not going about college the correct way — it simply means that every person has different circumstances and definitions of fun. As long as you’re choosing to spend your time in a way that makes you happy, you are utilizing spring break and college in the best way.
No matter what your spring break plans are, you must be careful not to put too many expectations on each other. If you’re heading off on an adventure with friends this week, revel in their company. If you’re flying or driving home, enjoy the comforts of being back where you grew up. The coexistent excitement and stress of school will be knocking on our doors sooner than we know it, so we should take this week to relax.
Norah Mannle CM ’27 hails from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. In her free time, she enjoys long walks, critiquing new coffee shops and skiing.