Spring Break: What Freshmen Should and Shouldn't Expect
Finally! Your first college spring break is here. You’ve been counting down the days since your first day of second semester. You cannot wait to sleep in, eat whatever you want, and spend time with your friends.
Are these expectations realistic? You’ve only experienced spring break as a high school student, but college may be different. What should and shouldn’t college freshmen expect from this break?
What Freshmen Should Not Expect from Spring Break
Heading into spring break, you probably have some expectations. You may expect certain things to happen or not happen. Depending on where you go and with whom you spend time, this trip can be an enjoyable break from the busyness of second semester.
Unfortunately, many freshmen are disappointed because of their unrealistic expectations. They expect many things to happen that rarely do. If you’ve never been on spring break during college, not knowing what to anticipate is normal.
So, what expectations are unrealistic? One, you will not catch up on sleep. You may expect that this week off will result in being well-rested. This rarely happens. Most college freshmen use break to spend time with friends and sometimes family. Their number one priority is socializing, not sleeping. As a result, you will probably get much less rest than you think.
Two, you will not enjoy spending all of your time with friends. Your college friends have become your allies, your confidants, and your biggest fans. However, constantly being in your friends’ company can be too much of a good thing. You may find that your time together actually puts a strain on your friendships or relationships.
Three, you will not have daily freedom to discover new and exciting destinations. As any poor college student knows, your limited finances also limit your ability to explore. Most college students with an extremely tight are unable to go all out for this one week, so many of your activities and destinations may have to be free.
Four, you will not get caught up academically. If you bring homework on spring break, you will be disappointed. You truly do need a rest from the books, and you be even more unmotivated to accomplish anything over break. Your books are best left at college.
Five, you will not have control over most of your time. Even if you’re not going home, you will not be the only one who has a say in how you spend your time. Your friends and temporary roommates will help determine what you do—when you go to bed, when you wake up, when you leave for your destination, etc. Your time will not be your own.
Sixth, your actions will not come without consequences. Just like at college, what you do or do not do does result in a positive or negative effect. Your foolish actions can come with serious consequences. Hasty decisions, throwing caution to the wind, or living in the moment may be a fun way to live but can also lead to some pretty disastrous outcomes.
What Freshmen Should Expect from Spring Break
More realistically, your spring break will be a break from college classes and the general busyness. You know that not all of your wildest hopes and dreams will come true during this one week break. However, spring break doesn’t have to be miserable, chaotic, or filled with regret and shame. You can truly enjoy these time away from college by setting realistic expectations for your break.
So, what expectations are realistic? One, you will need to make plans. You are not likely to enjoy your break if you go into it with next to no plans. Living by a strict schedule in college may make you wary of putting structure to your week off. Your plans don’t have to be quite as structured as your college schedule, and you can arrange them in a way that provides flexibility for unexpected adventures.
How does this look like? If you are spending most of the week with friends, work together to compile a list of activities you all would like to do. You may not be able to do everything, but be sure to pick one thing each person enjoys. Then plan how many of those activities you will do each day. Be careful not to over-schedule each day, leaving time to relax and sleep.
Two, you will need to be flexible. When you are at home or away with friends, you will probably have to do some activities you don’t want to do. Don’t have a bad attitude! Be willing to go with the flow, rather than being angry or frustrated.
Also be considerate of others. They may really not want to visit certain places or do specific activities. Be willing to pass on something you want to do. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness and will be more likely to accommodate to your wishes as well.
Three, you will have to say no to activities or trips. If you can barely afford college currently, do not spend your remaining dollars on traveling or use credit card to finance a road trip. This may mean that you have to spend spring break at home. Know that many students feel your pain and also have to spend most (if not all) of their spring break at home.
While you may not be able to spend a week away with friends, know there is another option. You can make a day trip to meet up with a friend. This is a wonderful alternative that still allows you to spend some time away with friends. Taking a one-day vacation with your friends can honestly be more enjoyable than a whole week together.
Four, you will need to take a break from schoolwork. Most students will not struggle with taking a break, but some students (**calling all perfectionists**) may have a hard time stopping. You’re used to working on homework constantly, so you have an incredibly hard time stopping.
Resist the urge to work on an upcoming project or a paper. Your brain needs complete breaks from school. When you return to college, you will find yourself more motivated and energized to get work done.
You should expect this spring break to be relaxing but you should not expect everything to go perfectly. Allow this time away from college to be a true break, be thoughtful of those around you, and enjoy the opportunity to stop.
