We all appreciate the freedom that is A) Reading Week B) Spring Break or C) March Break depending on your school. It’s a week without classes, homework, tests and essays. While at first you’re super excited to sleep in and spend your days in your pajamas watching Netflix and keeping tabs on social media, after a while boredom tends to creep in and you feel like you’re going crazy. Because let’s face it, there are only so many reruns you can watch and after a while even Facebook starts to get redundant. Luckily we’ve got a list of things to do.
1. Cook/bake something new.
Whether cooking is something you do on a daily basis or the oven and stove are foreign objects to you, now is a great time to dust off those recipe books and put those Pinterest recipes to good use. Try creating a dish and surprising your family with dinner or bake a cake from scratch. Cooking is a valuable skill to have and practice makes perfect! As a bonus, you can go back to school not have to eat Mac and Cheese or Ramen noodles every night.
2. Host a movie marathon.
When you’re not going to class everyday, you’re also not seeing your friends everyday which can be a total bummer! A movie marathon at your house is the perfect opportunity to get together and catch up with everyone. You can choose to watch a trilogy from beginning to end, or select a theme for the night like rom-coms or horror.
3. Take part in a community class.
At this point in your life you may already know exactly what your talents and your skills are or you could be confused about who you are and still on the road to self-discovery. Taking part in a drop-in class is a great way to challenge yourself to try something new, while finding a hidden passion. Your hands could be perfect for sculpting clay vases or your legs powerful enough to conquer kickboxing; you’ll never know unless you try.
4. Travel to somewhere you’ve never been.
Of course as a student, your wallet is probably starving, so it’s not expected of you to buy a plane ticket and fly off to Ibiza. Though if you have the funds or generous parents, it’s highly recommended. But trips can be made to places just 30 minutes away to the city next to you. Being a tourist allows you to see new places, experience new things and make memories. A change in scenery is the perfect antidote to a very bored mind.
5. Complete a DIY project.
D0-it-yourself projects seem to be everywhere! From YouTube to Tumblr to Pinterest to even here on faze.ca! The possibilities are endless and really cater to all interests. Interior decorators can create a snazzy bookshelf, tech geeks can make their own phone and tablet cases while fashionistas can turn old clothes into new. DIY projects save you money but will cost you time, but with the completion of one comes a new skill gained, satisfaction and bragging rights. “Whoa, so that’s not from IKEA?” is going to be the common question you’ll be hearing from friends.
6. Reconnect with an old friend.
Having a week off from your classmates gives you the opportunity to invest time in those long lost friends. You know, your best friend from the eighth grade or your homeroom buddy from high school. As you get older, you also get busier, and keeping relationships takes a lot of time and effort. However, you’ll find that all it takes is a simple “hey, how are you doing?” message to rekindle what was once a great friendship. This week is also the perfect week to reach out to people since most will be home from school or also enjoying a break.
7. Clean and organize.
Cleaning your room and closet is the obvious choice and one that your mom will rejoice at. But what about your phone, tablet and computer? Electronics get clogged up with junk a lot and need a good cleaning out once in a while. On your phone and/or tablet, delete all of the apps you haven’t used in the past few months (Because really, who plays Temple Run anymore?). Check through your photo gallery and delete any unwanted pictures; you’ll be surprised how many blurry and empty pictures you’ll find in there. One of these days your memory is going to get full and you’ll be scrambling to delete pictures in order to capture the moment that’s happening right then. Your computer is a much bigger task, with so many folders to go through. Everything from your desktop to documents to downloads should have a good clean through. Also try organizing everything by creating folders, so it’s much easier to find stuff.
8. Read a book.
This may sound like the last thing you’d want to do during your break from school, but believe it or not before television and the internet, books used to be a form of entertainment. Oh wait, they still are! A good and interesting book can take you into another world, have you sitting on the edge of your seat, getting attached to the characters and feeling lost when you’ve turned the last page. There are many genres to dive into but if you’re not sure where to start, your best bet is checking out the soon-to-be movie adaptations like Divergent or The Fault in Our Stars.