There are seven words that can strike fear into a college student’s heart in less than half a second. Not only fear but anxiety, money stress (yes, there is a special stress category reserved for stress involving money), and worst of all, FOMO.
For those of you who are uncultured *ahem* (read: unaware), FOMO is the abbreviated version of the phrase, Fear of Missing Out.
Pop culture education interruption:
“FOMO, the Fear Of Missing Out, was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013. It has been a popular concept for the last decade or so — largely because of the corresponding rise of social media.” – Lifehack
Back to your scheduled programming.
What are these words, so dreaded and scary? Well I’ll tell you.
“What are you doing for spring break?”
*insert multiple college students’ blood curdling screams here*
This question is frightening for a plethora of reasons. Being the person that I am, I went back to the generational fount of wisdom, Instagram, to get some answers. Before sharing some of the responses I got, I want to express a view that is not as widely accepted as it should be.
That view being: There’s this popular idea that spring break has to be BIG. So big that everything done on this trip is worthy of social media documentation. Inside jokes will be created, life-lasting friendships will be forged.
You’ll be asked for weeks after about what you did, who you went with and how broke you are now as a result, but you’ll say it was worth it. I don’t want to hate on those big groups that go on spring break. Psh, if that’s your thing, COOL.
But if it’s not, don’t feel bad for renting three books from the library, ordering a bottomless coffee from the Humboldt coffee shop and sitting in the same seat until they close. Do something that brings you joy this break.
If you’re a workaholic: Don’t crack open that textbook, have your roommate hide it somewhere! (This could also be a fun backup game. Like a scavenger hunt, but you don’t have any clues.)
*steps off soap box*
The first and foremost reason why the question, “What are you doing for spring break?” can be ominous is if you don’t, in fact, have any plans and you’re either frustrated about it or tired of being asked. If this is you, I get it, and so does Instagram. This all depends on where you fall in the planning spectrum. Some spring break planning begins before December, while others wait until the week of to decide if they’ll be leaving Jackson at all.
The second reason that this question could be menacing is because making plans is stressful and maybe you’d rather pretend to leave for break and come back to your dorm room after all your roommates have left just so you can play video games uninterrupted for the next 72 hours while only wearing your underwear. Too specific? Sorry.
Some examples of not making plans from Instagram:
“Setting your desktop background to ‘Jamaican Paradise’ at work because you’re trapped.”
“House sitting.”
“Staying in my dorm room and sleeping.”
“West Tennessee isn’t all that bad. Some good areas.”
“Cooking with friends.”
A third reason that this question is so intimidating is because you have to think about the cost of spring break. I know there are a lot of stereotypes about college students, two of the most blatant being that college students are procrastinators and broke. While I’d like to say that these rumors have been greatly exaggerated, there’s real life evidence to back these up. Here are some last minute and budget friendly ideas that my personal Instagram community has offered to you, take them as you will:
“Go camping!”
“Get someone to pay you to stay in their house lol” (AKA, house sitting)
“Spring cleaning! Konmari style.”
“Binge Netflix. Twelve bucks max.”
“Sleeping is free.”
“Go to St. Louis because all the free stuff but you know that.” (Yesssss, @elly_jelly97! I have gotten the privilege of “the free stuff” my entire life, and the St. Louis Zoo will always be the best.)
This is my idealized version of what spring break should actually embody: peace. Which can look so different for the spectrum of people that make up Union University.
According to my Instagram, many people are choosing to spend their breaks with family. Whether this communicates that peace is found with family or not, this could also be a low-cost option with some homecooked meals thrown in, and honestly, that sounds pretty great to me.
“Going to the beach – Miramar, FL. – with family!”
“Going to see both sets of parents further away from the beach….”
“Surprising my parents with my brother flying in from California!”
The purpose of any break is for rest. If you find that in Palm Beach, Florida, with 18 other friends and an hour by hour schedule over the course of seven days, then more power to you! If you find that by moving home for a week and method acting that you’re taking on the persona of what you believe a couch potato’s essence would be in real life, incredible!
Find your favorite way to relax and do that, because college gives you space to figure that out. And I don’t mean to be that person, but finals are only like a month and a half away so get sleep while you still can.