The most anticipated time of year for college students is almost upon us. If you’ve ever watched a 90’s teen movie, spring break is depicted as the pinnacle of college experience. With beach babes and boys with washboard abs thrusting their fists in the air on packed beaches, it’s clear why spring break is usually regarded as a party oasis for college students.
However, this year, you and your friends can break the mold by doing more than just partying and going to the beach. Below are a few alternative activities that can be done over the highly anticipated break.
Eating expedition
An eating expedition is the best of both worlds, as you and your friends get to indulge in great food and go to new restaurants. It’s simple and cost effective if you decide to do this over your break. The hardest part is to research the places that you would like to go, and the goal is to eat at a new place every day.
Make the experience as exciting as possible by picking places that would require a mini-road trip. Your eating expedition should rival those of the Food Network and Travel Channel, so don’t be shy about going to places that boast weird foods. Visit events.southflorida.com for a few ideas. By the end of spring break, you and your friends should have a new appreciation for food and knowledge that could woo any restaurant connoisseur.
Have fun and give back
College students seldom have the time to do anything charitable, apart from helping each other get better grades. Use this time to branch out and help your community. Organizations are always looking for volunteers, and you could really dedicate yourself to the cause for a couple of days.
If you have enough time, you could even volunteer for organizations that are out of state, that way you could have the experience of travelling and volunteering. The Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement also offers a spring break service trip to New Orleans from Feb. 27 to March 4.
Get cultured
By the time you leave college, you won’t have time to go to museums, live performances, art shows or anything cultural. Instead of comparing tan lines after spring break, you and your friends can impress colleagues and professors by talking about visiting the NSU Art Museum or the ballet performance you saw in Miami.
Go camping or hiking
While everyone is heading to the beach, you and your friends can head to the trails. If you’re the adventurous type, camping can be quite the thrill, especially if you have to hike to your camp site. With websites such as floridahikes.com, you can tailor your camping experience to fit your needs and choose places that appeal to you and your friends. Instead of buying sunscreen and tanning lotions, you might want to stock up on some bug spray and marshmallows.
Did someone say Disney?
Theme parks can be a bit cheesy at times, especially if you’ve been there on countless family vacations. However, going with friends for spring break is a lot different, and it doesn’t have to be Disney. Places such as Busch Gardens, Wet n’ Wild and Rapids Water Park provide fun for relatively good prices, which range from $40 to $80. You might be sick of the beach, but there’s no way you can grow tired of water slides and the endless rides these theme parks have to offer.
Cruising
OK, so this last one may not necessarily be “cruising.” However, you and your friends can take a ferry to Bimini for spring break. Just imagine escaping to the Bahamas for a day or two with a couple friends; it’s the perfect mini-vacation for college students who may have to work over the break. Bimini is only 53 miles away, and instead of taking a flight, you can take a ferry. Not only is the destination worthwhile, but so is the journey.
There you have it ― six activities that you and your friends can do over this break. The saddest part about spring break is that it has been reduced to partying and going to the beach, but if you and your friends are looking for something different to do, do at least one of these activities. Who knows? You can probably try to do all six and make it a spring break bucket list.
