Spring Break Guide for College Students

Spring Break Guide for College Students Spring break- that last little bit of time off before the end of the academic year. Its something everyone looks forward to because its one of the few times in college you truly get a break from the grind. At the same time, a week goes by fast, and you dont want to head back to class feeling youve wasted your free time. No matter what year you are in school, your budget or your vacation style, here are several ideas for what you can do to make the most out of your spring break. 1. Go Home If you go to school away from home, taking a trip back can be a nice change of pace from college life. And if youre one of those students who isnt great at setting aside time to call Mom and Dad or keeping up with friends at home, this is a great opportunity to make up for it. This can be one of your most affordable options, too, if youre trying to save money. 2. Volunteer See if any service-oriented campus organizations are putting together a volunteer-based spring break trip. Service trips like that offer a great opportunity to see a different part of the country (or the world) while helping others. If youre not interested in traveling far or cant afford a trip, ask organizations in your hometown if they could use a volunteer for a week. 3. Stay on Campus Whether you live really far away or youre just dont want to pack up for a week, you may be able to stay on campus during spring break. (Check your schools policies.) With most people gone on break, you can enjoy a quieter campus, rest up, catch up on school work or explore parts of town youve never had time to visit. 4. Revisit Your Hobbies Is there something you enjoy doing that you havent been able to continue doing at school? Drawing, wall climbing, creative writing, cooking, crafting, playing video games, playing music- whatever it is you love to do, make some time for it during spring break. 5. Take a Road Trip You dont have to drive across the country, but think about loading up your car with snacks and a couple of friends and hitting the road. You could check out some local tourist attractions, visit state or national parks or do a tour of your friends hometowns. 6. Visit a Friend If your spring breaks line up, plan to spend time with a friend who doesnt go to school with you. If your breaks dont fall at the same time, see if you can spend a few days where they live or at their school so you can catch up. 7. Do Something You Dont Get to Do at School What dont you have time for because of the busyness of class and extracurricular activities? Going to the movies? Camping? Reading for fun? Make time for one or more of those things you love to do. 8. Go on a Group Vacation This is the quintessential spring break. Get together with a bunch of your friends or classmates and plan a big trip. These vacations can cost more than many other spring break options, so do your best to plan in advance so you can save up. Ideally youll be able to save a lot by carpooling and sharing lodging. 9. Take a Family Trip When was the last time your family took a vacation together? If youd like to spend more time with your family, propose a vacation during your spring break. 10. Make Some Extra Cash You probably cant find a new job for just a week, but if you had a summer job or worked in high school, ask your employer if they could use some help while youre home. You could also ask your parents if theres any extra work at their jobs that you could help with. 11. Job Hunt Whether you need a summer gig, want an internship or are looking for your first post-grad job, spring break is a great time to focus on your job hunt. If youre applying to or attending grad school in the fall, spring break is a good time to prepare. 12. Catch Up on Assignments It may feel like youll never make up the work if youve fallen behind in class, but you might be able to catch up during spring break. Set goals for how much time you want to dedicate to studying, so you dont get to the end of break and realize youre farther behind than you were before. 13. Relax The demands of college will intensify after you get back from break, so make sure youre ready to face them. Get plenty of sleep, eat well, spend time outside, listen to music- do whatever you can to make sure you get back to school refreshed.

Word Choice Its vs. Its - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

Word Choice Its vs. Its - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog Word Choice: Its vs. Its Apostrophes have a bad habit of turning up in unexpected places. Confusion between â€Å"its† and â€Å"its,† for example, is so common that, as proofreaders, we pretty much consider it our nemesis. Worry not, though! We’ve prepared this simple guide to using â€Å"its† and â€Å"it’s† correctly, so read on and you’ll soon be equipped to join our crusade against this common grammatical error. Why the Problem Occurs â€Å"Its† and â€Å"it’s† are so frequently confused because there are two situations in which we typically add an apostrophe to a word: To indicate possession (e.g., the windshield on a car is the â€Å"car’s windshield†) To indicate omitted letters in a contraction (e.g., â€Å"do not† becomes â€Å"don’t†) It would therefore make sense for something belonging to an â€Å"it† to be indicated by adding an apostrophe + â€Å"s† to the word, but in practice we only use an apostrophe for the contraction â€Å"it’s.† Why? And how do you remember this distinction? Let us explain. Its (Possessive Pronoun) The term â€Å"its† is used when referring to something owned or belonging to an â€Å"it† (typically an object or animal): With its smashed windows and chipped paintwork, the car was a wreck. Just dont ask us what we were doing when we wrecked it. [Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki]â€Å"Its† doesn’t require an apostrophe because it is a possessive pronoun, like â€Å"his,† â€Å"her† or â€Å"your† (none of which require an apostrophe to indicate possession). It’s (Contraction) â€Å"Its† is a contraction, a shortened version of two separate words with letters omitted. To be specific, â€Å"it’s† combines â€Å"it† with either â€Å"is† or â€Å"has† depending on the tense used: It is finally time! = It’s finally time! It has been a long wait! = It’s been a long wait! Like any other contraction, you must use an apostrophe to show that two words have been combined when writing â€Å"it’s.† Its or It’s? The distinction between these terms is vital for clarity, so it’s definitely worth taking a moment to remember how they should be used. Thankfully, the difference is a fairly simple one: Its = Possession Its = Contraction (either it is or it has) Thus, if you’re writing about something that belongs to an â€Å"it,† the correct term will always be â€Å"its.† Likewise, if you’re using â€Å"it’s† as a shortened version of â€Å"it is† or â€Å"it has,† you’ll always need an apostrophe. It’s also worth remembering that contractions are generally considered inappropriate in formal writing, so you should avoid terms like â€Å"its† in your college work and write â€Å"it is† in full instead.