The stages of spending Spring Break at home

“Spring Break” has become more of a mystical and abstract concept rather than a simple term referring to the brief intermission in the latter part of the spring semester of the school year. It’s been depicted by Hollywood, it hijacks your Instagram feed with photos of palm trees, and encompasses all that being young is about (okay, maybe we got a little carried away there).

But with these high expectations, there are sure to be unexpected surprises and disappointments along the way, for nothing ever turns out quite the way we planned.

STAGE 1:  Pre-Break

This is the stage where you’ve heard about your friends’ plans, you’ve seen pictures of them in paradise, and you are finally starting to daydream about the upcoming week. You knew you weren’t going anywhere special for break, but you still wanted to have a great time. On Friday you had a few classes left for the day, but desperately tried to find excuses to skip all of them.

If you were really inspired you might’ve even create a list of the things you’ve been putting off since winter break that need to be done during spring break.

• school work
• find an internship
• buy summer clothes
• school work
• get in shape
• sleep
• more school work

However, since its spring break, all of this is only secondary to the important tasks of your break.

• see friends
• watch Netflix
• drink your stresses away
• catch up on three years of sleep

On your way home from school, you excitedly texted your high school friends to begin planning the epic week ahead of you that was sure to be filled with tons of activities, a high level of productivity, and an ultimate feeling of satisfaction.

STAGE 2:  #Cancun2016

Okay, so remember that first list you made? You know, the one with all the annoying things about school and life. Well, its Spring Break, and you have a whole week off, and you’ve been working so hard so you decide you’ve earned a break and will start the hard stuff later in the break.

Since you’ve ditched any responsibilities for at least a few more days, you can focus on having some fun. You might not be at a sunny resort, but you’ve got your high school friends (well, just the two that share the same break as you). You go out, have some fun, come back, and go to sleep. This happens for a few days, and it is great. You’re having a good time, things are going smoothly, you are relaxed, and the time is flying by.

Once break is a little more than half-way through, and you begin to remember that first list, and all the actual work you have to do before heading back to school.

One night you have an epiphany that “Oh my god, I have done nothing this break,” and so you put your foot down and reassure yourself “tomorrow will be different, I will wake up early and work hard until dinner”. You set your alarm for 9am even though you haven’t woken up before noon all week.

STAGE 3:  The Day of Determination (Part 1)

You hear your alarm and immediately try to understand why you ever though this was a good idea. After reluctantly rolling out of bed, showering, and eating breakfast, you find yourself at your laptop and ready to work by 11am.

Now is your time to shine, for this is where your determination kicks in and you finish this break strong and prove to everyone you can balance fun and work.

The problem is that every time you sit down at your computer you can’t stop yourself from checking Facebook, eating a snack, wanting to nap, or thinking about binge watching the entire Godfather trilogy because you’ve never seen it and are tired of not being able to contribute to conversations when it comes up!

Before you know it though, its 8pm and all you’ve done is a few math problems. What happened? You try to recall the day, but its all a blur of distraction and procrastination.

Your friends ask to hang out again as there’s only two more days of break left, but you know you should keep on trying to get your work done. Being logical you go out with them to decompress so that you can be mentally ready to work tomorrow on the last day of break with a final effort to be somewhat productive.

STAGE 4:  The Day of Determination (Part 2)

You wake up and start working. You’re in absolute beast mode and hurrying through your work in record time. Despite your recklessness, this break might actually have a happy ending and you can get back to college feeling fresh and accomplished. In that moment of hope, though, your mom reminds you that family is coming over today. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, it really doesn’t matter who because whoever it is has come to see you and that means it will not be a day of productive work.

Eventually the family comes and leaves and now you have a few hours left to finish all of that work. Its late and you’re tired so you stay up too late trying to do as much as you can, but in your poor state its likely that only about ten percent of what you’re doing is actually accurate.

STAGE 5:  The Return

Break is over. Classes have resumed. You should be well rested, up to date on work, and maybe even a little motivated to get back to school and finish out the year.

However, in reality you are more tired than at the beginning of break, mediocrely finished half of your work, and definitely don’t want to think about school.

In fact, the only thought in your head is, “you know, I could really use a week off from school right about now”.