Spring Break...What to Do?

By Dorothy J. Hill

Spring Break…What to Do?

It is finally here…spring break. Now, I know, a lot of people are thinking, already? But, yes. Ours is a little earlier than others. Why? Who knows and it doesn’t really matter anyway. But, the fact of the matter is that it is here and now you have a week of no classes to worry about. I’m actually kind of excited about the upcoming break. It will give me a chance to relax for a change and also do much work for school. And, even though it’s break, I will still be gracing the campus with my presence at work. So, it really isn’t much of a break for me, but it’s still fairly exciting.

So, five days, to do whatever it is that you want. Some people are going on service trips to various places. I know for sure that several of my colleagues will be participating in this respect. Many of them will be going to help build homes or work in hospices and hospitals. There are various things that you can do during spring break. Others may be taking a nice vacation and travelling to different places. Whatever it is, it’s up to you. Even though I am staying home, I will still be very busy. Between catching up on time with my travelling companion, memorizing 23 songs for my recital (which is April 21 at 7:30 p.m. in McGuire Hall and it’s FREE), working in the Office of Admission, doing some winter/spring cleaning around the house, shopping, and a few other things, it will be time for school before I can blink my eyes.

I’ve been saying that things are relatively bittersweet. This is mostly because as time progresses, I am ever so slowly (or quickly) approaching the end of this journey. It is the end of February and when we return it will be March. March leads to April which leads to May, which means I am out of here. I am still excited but at the same time I am a little uncertain. This is a natural thing. Everyone experiences this as they transition into a new thing. This is going to be a tremendous change for me though. I have been in school my whole life and being in the real world not having this cushion is going to make a huge difference. It is definitely a little scary sometimes but after a while you get accustomed to certain things and it becomes easier as you learn, grow and gain more insight on life.

Spring break is going to be a time for me, and many others, to regroup myself and recollect my thoughts. Not to say that I am not collected now, but having the time away from school will give me the chance to fully organize my thoughts and prepare for more things. This is a time where it would be wise to ensure that things are in place, so that when I graduate there are few things that I have to worry about. It will also provide me with the opportunity to really sit down and contemplate a lot of the things that I have not been able to give my full attention to. Being in school is a pretty heavy load and can be even heavier when you are not the above average learner/student. Now I am not downgrading myself or anyone else for that matter, but everyone handles things differently.

Some people are considered to be over-achievers, achievers, or under-achievers. I will be honest, and I think this applies to a lot of people as well, but I am a combination of them all. There are some instances where I will over-achieve and there are others where I may under-achieve. Then there are those instances where I will just achieve. There isn’t anything wrong with any of these options; it just depends on the circumstance. And, as unfortunate as it may be, sometimes life situations may interfere with the level of achievement. For instance, if you are dealing with various familial or financial issues, it will carry over into other aspects of your life. It may be a situation where you are unable to give something as much as you are capable of because of what you may be dealing with. Like with just about everything, everyone handles and responds to things differently. Personally, as I have gotten older and matured, I have been able to handle things a lot better than I may have in high school and that should be the case for any person.

I am happy that spring break is here. I feel like it is long overdue for me and many others. I already know that once we get back, time is going to fly by and I will be looking back thinking, “Wow, I am here. This is my moment.” I’m stoked and can’t wait until May 13. It’s going to be so awesome!!! So, enjoy your spring break. Soak up some family and “me” time for as long as you can. Be adventurous. Do whatever will make you happy, bring excitement and make you not have to think and worry about school until break is over. And, most of all, be safe in whatever you do.

Until we meet again…Peace, blessings for safe travels and fun, fun, fun!

Dorothy J. Hill is a senior from Chicago, IL. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. Dorothy is a Student Ambassador and currently serves as the Training Coordinator at Saint Xavier.