5 Ways You Can Make the Most of Winter Break

After a long semester, winter break always seems to pass by in an instant. With only a limited amount of time between semesters, you want to spend it as wisely—and as entertained—as you can. We offer some ways you can make the most of winter break and come back as refreshed as possible in the spring.

Rest Well

You should devote most of your winter break to doing just that: taking a break. After an entire semester of studying, writing, and testing, you need—and deserve—the time off to rest. Catch up on that sleep you probably lost around finals week, and get your energy back with plenty of good food. Just make sure you don’t rest too much. While you want to recuperate and get back on your feet for next semester, you don’t want to ruin your sleep schedule or miss out on valuable vacation time.

Catch up with Friends and Family

Whether it’s due to distance or a busy schedule, school can often keep you away from friends or family. Breaks provide the perfect opportunity to set aside time for the people you don’t get to see every day. If you’re returning home after a semester of college, get in contact with your hometown friends to do some catching up. You’ll likely see some extended family at holiday gatherings, but is there anyone you want to see who can’t make it? Reaching out to loved ones and planning time to hang out together is one of the best ways you can make the most of winter break.

Catch up on Activities

You don’t always have a lot of free time throughout the semester. Spend a good part of your winter break might catching up on all the fun things you couldn’t do over the last few months. Maybe there’s a TV show or movie that you haven’t had the chance to watch yet. You can swap your textbooks for that list of novels you want to read, or pick up a video game that’s been waiting, half-finished, all semester.

Try Something New

At the end of a long semester, a long vacation is exactly what you need. Use this time to travel somewhere different or try new things. If you plan ahead, you can spend your break visiting a big city, heading to the beach, or going on a ski trip. You can make it a family vacation, or use it as an opportunity to meet up with some of your college friends partway through break.

Prepare for Spring

No one wants to spend their vacation thinking about school, but you do have the perfect opportunity to get a head start. You can order books early, check out your syllabus if you have it, and make sure you have all the supplies you need for the coming semester. Keeping these things in mind over break means you won’t have to panic about it at the last minute, and you’ll have a smoother start once the new semester begins.