Making the Most of Time Off From College
Summer break, winter break, spring break. They all call for one thing - taking a break! But how can you really make the most of time off from school and how do you make sure your time off actually feels like a break? Consider some of these strategies to make the most of that precious time off.
Schedule at least a little bit but don’t over do it. Depending on your personality, it can feel tempting to over commit yourself to friends, parties and events. On the other hand, you might feel tempted to curl up in bed with Netflix and crawl out the night before school starts again. Try to resist the urge to do either. Instead, realize that a little stress and commitment is generally good but too much will make you feel like you have no energy and you’ll need a break from your break! What does this balance look like? Try thinking of what you really want to do and schedule 75% of that. Want to hang out with friends all of the time? Try scheduling just a few hours each day. Want to binge watch TV and eat Doritos for the next 72 hours? Give yourself three hours a day. And whatever you do, don’t go crazy with your sleep schedule. Try to set a reasonable time to go to bed and wake up (at least most of the nights).
Think about what you wish you could do more of for self care and practice it. During the toughest days of school, you might wish you could just go for walk, eat a leisurely lunch or give yourself a pedicure. So, practice each of these things while you can. Notice how they make you feel and ask yourself how you might be able to fit more of it into your schedule. Could you make a commitment to go for a walk after lunch every day or make space for a longer lunch break? If you take time to practice these activities now, you’ll better be able to incorporate them with purpose when you get back. Better yet, write them in your calendar and make a commitment just like you do to all of the other obligations you have.
Talk to the people that you won’t see at college and soak up their wisdom and insights. This might be your parents, grandparents or even siblings. At college, you generally are surrounded by a lot of people the same age as you. You can forget the amazing perspective that people from different generations bring. Enjoy your time by noticing all the things that might seem mundane - how they interact with each other, their sense of humor or how they handle a stressful situation. If your close enough, ask them what they wish they had known at your age or what they hope to be like at your age. Make an effort to communicate with them when you get back to school to keep the connection strong.
Set a goal. Taking a break is a great time for your brain to stop cycling through the constant to-do list. It might also be a great time to catch your breath and set a goal for the upcoming months. Do you want to have a better time management strategy, stay on top of assignments, spend more time at the library or connect with more peers? Maybe you want to attend office hours or join a club? All of these are difficult to do without a plan of action but having a little downtime can give you the energy to strategize how to make it work. Write it down and share your goal with someone you trust that can follow up with you.
College is a unique time in life where there always seems to be more you can be doing so really taking a break can feel like such a mental relief. With a little thoughtfulness, you can make sure you make the most of your time and come back to school rested, recharged and ready to take on the challenges ahead.
Enjoy and stay curious!
P.S. Did this break make you ponder a change in program or major? Check out the Major Change Guide to help you work through the steps of making tough decisions and how to move forward with confidence.
