Wild Spring Breaks Aren’t for Everyone

The fliers usually begin to appear on campus bulletin boards and elevators in early December. With their bright blue lettering and palm-tree designs, these brochures are hard to ignore, even if spring break is three months away.

It’s easy to become wrapped up in the glitz and glamour of the commercialized spring break, especially when it seems that everyone around you is planning an exotic vacation. Of course, no student wants to admit that his or her spring break will be uneventful and boring. But for many students, the week can be a chance to shy away from the typically wild college behavior. In fact, it can be a weeklong opportunity for students to further their education and begin exploring future careers.

Many student travel organizations offer free vacation packages to students who spread the word and recruit others to sign up for a trip to the Bahamas. The companies’ promise of free alcoholic drinks, nonstop after-hours parties, and beautiful beaches for only $500 is enticing to stressed-out undergraduates. For many students attending school on the East Coast, these midyear getaways offer a relief from the bitter winter weather and the opportunity to trade their snow boots for flip-flops.

Even the youth-driven cable network, MTV, promotes spring break. Every year, the network chooses a coastal location and then teams up with national travel agencies to advertise MTV-sponsored rock concerts and game shows. Unfortunately, spring break usually occurs a week before or after the dreaded college midterms. Although the break is a week of relaxation and fun, it also marks the middle of the semester.

Some college students prefer to relax in a different way, using the week to catch up on homework. Many professors require that term papers and group projects be turned in the week before the break, because it allows them the opportunity to grade homework without the pressure of an immediate deadline.

Because many of the larger dorms lock up during spring break, college program directors take advantage of the fact that some students have no place to go. In conjunction with volunteer organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, colleges are now offering students a chance to participate in outreach programs over spring break.

Local groups also organize events that benefit the surrounding community. Moreover, language students are given the opportunity to visit other countries to further their cultural experiences. It is a less costly alternative to summers or even semesters abroad.

For those who commute to college, many students work full time to earn extra money. With a week free from scheduled classes, students are given the liberty to spend their time however they choose. Many college students use spring break to let loose by illegally drinking and doing drugs.

It is a time when people forget their responsibilities and engage in inappropriate behavior without thinking of the consequences that might affect them later. While surrounded by good friends on a beautiful beach, students oftentimes use spring break as an excuse to act recklessly. Even video production companies are aware of the openness of students on spring break, as evidenced by the tasteless videos of drunk college girls sold on late-night television.

Unfortunately, many young people do not realize that education and respectability cannot be put off for a week, nor can they be instantly taken up again when classes reconvene. Learning is an ongoing process that occurs whether or not we are given a vacation.

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible for students to have a good time on their spring break while also gaining something more valuable than the perfect tan. For my week of vacation, I stayed in New York City and spent the time visiting the site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the Statue of Liberty. I also checked out the offices of some prospective design companies where I might like to work someday.

In the mornings, I read my English textbook and finished up William Faulkner’s “Light in August.” I had fun experiencing New York while also considering a possible career in the fashion industry.

Although it is tempting to use this vacation as an excuse to let go of all sensibilities, young people must remember to take on spring break with moderation. It is not a week to forget the value of good judgment. Rather, spring break should be a time for students to enjoy the benefits of their education while exploring possible opportunities for the future.