Our Favorite Ways to Spend Spring Break

Exams lurk around every corner. Your planner is packed with endless tiny reminders. It won’t stop snowing. And if you’re a senior, everyone keeps asking what you’re doing after graduation. Is this a horror film or is it just mid-March in the life of a college student?

ANSWER: Mid-March in the life of a college student….

Well friends, the goods news is that spring break is only 17 days away. This means that you’ve either been planning a vacation with your best pals for several months OR you haven’t had time to think about it. No matter where you stand with your spring break plans, be sure to check out our list of recommendations. There are tons of things to do in Eau Claire, at home, or even on vacation. Get some inspiration below….

Go on the Civil Rights Pilgrimage

The Civil Rights Pilgrimage through UWEC is a unique opportunity to travel the path of the civil rights movement and walk through pivotal places and stories in our history. If you haven’t made any plans for spring break just yet, we can’t advocate enough for this immersion trip.

Participants leave on March 22 and return March 31 and will visit Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Gulfport and Jackson, Mississippi; New Orleans, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Memphis, Tennessee. Get more details on the trip HERE.

Read a book for enjoyment, NOT for class

It doesn’t matter if you’re heading out on a road trip, taking a long flight, or staying home, this one works for all spring breakers. Make sure you pick up a book that you’ve been dying to read, but haven’t had time for and ENJOY!

Go on the Alternative Spring Break Trip

Here’s another immersion opportunity for you! The Alternative Spring Break trip is an opportunity for students to explore the concepts of servant leadership and social justice — specifically around issues of poverty, homelessness and socioeconomic status. Running March 23–30, the 2019 trip will be in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the ninth consecutive year. Students will engage in hands-on service projects and discuss issues of servant leadership and social justice with Indianapolis organization leaders. Get more details on the trip HERE.

Check out a new podcast

Podcasts are THE BEST. Just download a free one from the podcast library on your phone and throw in those earbuds. We love podcasts because they’re wildly entertaining, there are millions of good ones, and you can learn a ton while listening to one. Here are some of our recommendations:

• How I Built This with Guy Raz: Host Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world’s best known companies. This podcast weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists — and the movements they built.
• Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness: If you finished both seasons of Netflix’s Queer Eye reboot and found yourself wondering how the relentelessly delightful Jonathan Van Ness doesn’t have his own show, look no further. Van Ness speaks to experts to satisfy his own natural curiosities about the world.
• Invisibilia: Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Ivisibilia — latin for invisible things — fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.

Search and apply for jobs

We know, we know….this is probably the last thing you want to do on a break. But if you’re a senior who’s graduating in May, post up at a coffee shop and take some time to do a little searching. It’s still early and more jobs will get posted as summer nears. However, it’s still a good idea to get a head start.

Go to the gym or try out a new fitness class

If you have a busy class schedule, it can be easy to put off working out. Over break, take some time to build up good energy and relieve stress by working out or trying a fitness class.

Do something creative

Perhaps you’ve been wanting to learn to knit or finally work on that blog or YouTube channel you’ve been planning for forever. Now’s the time to take the leap. And maybe you can take your new skill with you when you return from break. Having a creative outlet is healthy and a great way to de-stress when you’re back in school.

Get out and explore

It’s definitely cold outside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bundle up and put on some snow shoes for a little adventure. Even if you’re not going somewhere warm over break, make sure you get outside every now and again. Take the dog for a walk or go for a little hike. The fresh air will do you good!

There are so many things you can do over spring break that don’t necessarily involve traveling. Go visit the nearest town, grab coffee with a friend you haven’t seen in a while….the list goes on. Just make sure you take time to enjoy your break, de-stress and maybe learn something new!