Four Ways Your Student Can Make the Most of Spring Break

Spring break is that time of year that every student perennially looks forward to. Of course, this year travel and activities might look different; nevertheless, fun can be had. Perhaps it includes a week to travel, or time with friends; possibly going to the movies or the mall, or simply sleep until noon every day. Even though spring break can be a great time to rest and reset, it can also be an opportune moment to start or continue your college search, add an extracurricular to your resume, or even to get ahead on some assignments. Here are several ways that your student can make the most of their spring break this year.

Take a college visit - without leaving home.

Many parents and high school students set aside the week of spring break as an opportunity to visit several universities that they might be considering attending. With campus closures and travel restrictions coming into play this year, however, in-person visits may no longer be possible - but that’s no reason to delay your visit. Instead, set up a 2 or 3-day “College Tour” with your student, creating an itinerary for your virtual visit just as you would a real college trip. Join a virtual campus tour or information session, jump into a live chat with current students, or speak with an academic advisor about the school’s program. This focused, and totally virtual approach allows you to cover a lot of ground - figuratively, that is - in the college search, without having to leave your home or take up your student’s entire time off.

Learn a new skill or get involved in your community.

Spring break this year will certainly look different from years past. Help your student beat the boredom (and beef up their college application in the meantime) by tapping into thousands of free online learning courses to hone a new skill, or by encouraging them to take part in virtual volunteering opportunities with local or worldwide organizations. You’d be surprised how much your student can accomplish in just a week! Encouraging your student to explore enrichment outside of the classroom not only helps keep their mind engaged and inspired, but it looks great on college applications and can be very rewarding for your student, too. In fact, they might even find it’s something they want to continue doing after the break!

Take the opportunity to catch up (or even get ahead!) - your future self will thank you.

If your student has been struggling in their classes, take the opportunity that the slower pace of spring break provides to catch up - on their own time. Talk to your local Huntington representative about how our tutoring and test prep programs can help your student catch up. If your student isn’t behind, that doesn’t mean they can’t take advantage of the moment, too. Connect with your student’s teacher about coming assignments - maybe there’s a research project they could get ahead on or a book they know they’ll be assigned to read when they return. Getting ahead - even by just a few chapters - can make easing back into class much smoother, and can help set your student up for greater success the rest of the year.

Take time to reset and renew.

While we love to encourage our Huntington students to use their free time to the fullest, we also know that this is a very challenging time for them all - academically, emotionally, and mentally. That’s why it’s so important to encourage your student to charge their batteries during this time off, too. If weather permits, encourage them to get outside, take a virtual fitness class, try a fun new recipe, or meet up with friends in a socially-distant way. Taking time to disconnect and have a little fun can go a long way in helping your student to reset and renew for the months ahead.