Dear tired seniors,
Happy (almost) Fall Break. In approximately 48 hours, midterm week will be over, and it will finally be time to catch our breath and take a break. For many of us, this means heading to sunny Las Vegas, Nevada to spend the last four days of break. While it is said that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” we all know what happens in Vegas actually gets posted on Instagram and Snapchat stories as memories of us all enjoying our senior year.
Regardless if you are heading to Vegas, staying on campus, going home or traveling somewhere different for this upcoming week, we deserve the break. If this semester has taught us anything, it is that although we are seniors, that does not automatically mean our work load will decrease, and for many of us quite the opposite is occurring. Senior projects, thesis assignments, applications for post-grad jobs and further education and more are piling up on our desks and in our email inboxes, making it difficult to escape the reality that the outside world does not stop just because we have some exams and essay deadlines.
However, a break is the perfect time to put all else aside and finally get a chance to relax and spend time with friends and loved ones. Relaxation looks different for everyone, which is why I am going to share some different ways to take a step back and spend time for yourself this Fall Break.
Find a new hobby
The best part about a break is that you can spend it doing whatever you want. This makes it the perfect time to try something new and to get into the habit of doing that activity. Do you want to start journaling every day? Curious about learning how to sew? There is no better time than when you have no other obligations.
Explore your surroundings
If you are going home or somewhere new, it is always possible to discover parts of the town or city you have never explored before. Finding the “hidden gems” of these areas keeps breaks interesting. Using tools such as TikTok or Pinterest to find new places to explore could possibly lead you to discovering your new favorite go-to places.
Read a new book
My personal favorite part of break is being able to read for pleasure, instead of for class. Breaks are the best time to head to your local book store and pick up the book you have been eyeing. Not sure what to read next? Head to Goodreads or “BookTok” to discover the story meant for you to explore.
Reconnect with others
Another favorite of mine is using break as a time to connect with family members I have not seen in a while or friends from high school who go to other colleges. Maybe you have the opportunity to surprise a friend or family member by visiting them or just scheduling a time to get coffee and talk about life since the last time you connected.
Have fun
Of course, for those of us heading to Vegas, but also for anyone going on break, the main objective is to have fun and enjoy your time. It is our opportunity to have the time of our life and to do so with the people we love.
No matter how you are spending your Fall Break, it is important to enjoy it because we deserve to. Take this time for yourself to reconnect, reset and to prepare to come back to campus better than you left.
With love always,
Lauren
