With midterms coming to an end, many Grand Valley State University community members are counting down the days until spring break arrives. Winter tends to be a difficult time for motivation and productivity, as the shortened days and cold weather spoil the semester for many individuals. This makes the approach of spring break all the more exciting for GVSU students and faculty who are desperate for breathing room in their workload. However, due to the amount of burnout people may be experiencing, it can be easy to let spring break pass you by. To combat this, we have compiled some productive ways to spend your time this spring break. 

Reset your health standards

Throughout the semester, many individuals struggle to keep up with their overall health and well-being. Keeping up with work, school, social lives, mental health and physical health takes a lot of effort. While it is easy to let some of these things slip through the cracks, we feel it can be important to be intentional about your health during times like spring break. 

Having a week without the time constraint of classes, homework or grading can free up time to focus on health. For many individuals, meal preparation and planning can be a very helpful way to eat healthily when you may not have the time to prepare fresh food. You could spend the break coming up with recipes and preparing a supply of meals to stock in your freezer or fridge. This can make it easier for you to quickly grab healthy alternatives to on-campus dining or fast food. 

Spring break can also be a good time to readjust your sleep schedule. Many college students struggle with a lack of sleep due to early classes or late night study sessions. If your schedule has lightened up during spring break, going to bed early or sleeping in later than normal can help improve overall health before getting back into the grind.

Stay on track for success

If you’re not too burnt out going into break, another way to spend your time is preparing to return to school. While we all look forward to spring break as our primary pause in the winter semester, it’s merely one week long. Rather than completely turning off your academic brain, we recommend tuning into upcoming deadlines and projects in your courses. Whether you’re graduating, finishing your first semester or somewhere in between, finding ways to keep on top of classwork is necessary to succeed as a college student. Spring break is a great time to reorganize how you track assignments, test out new study methods or even design a new schedule that balances studying with self-care and social breaks. 

Additionally, especially for those in their final years at GVSU, scouting and applying for internships or jobs could be a future-forward way to spend an afternoon or two. The GVSU Career Center has a dedicated site for those who don’t know where to start, and they’re always happy to help students along in their professional journey. 

Enjoy new (or classic) entertainment

One week away from school could mean one week to catch up on new movies, shows and albums that have come out lately. With new albums from The Weeknd, Tate McRae, The Lumineers and more, hours that would’ve been spent in classes can be spent listening to new tracks (or old favorites) from artists you love. If you’re lucky, you could even attend a concert over break.

Metacritic displays a lengthy list of recent album releases, from PARTYNEXTDOOR to The Wombats. As far as movie fanatics go, we’re sure you’ve heard of the “Captain America: Brave New World” release; however, Fandango has compiled a catalog of other new films for those who are looking for another genre. For horror fans, new episodes of the thriller television show “Yellowjackets’” dropped on Valentine’s Day. Spring break also serves as the perfect time to dig into a new book, podcast or video game– either with friends or alone!

For any students staying in the Allendale and Grand Rapids area, check out the Experience Grand Rapids website for events happening downtown and around the city!

Have a good time, but be responsible

As the saying goes, “Don’t add to the population. Don’t subtract from the population. Stay out of the hospital, the newspaper and jail. If you do end up in jail, establish dominance quickly.”

Enjoy your spring break, Lakers!