BY COLLEEN RUPP

SC Staff Writer

With winter break fast approaching, it’s time to start making some plans.

Some of us will be working, some may have internships, but what should we all do during our free time on this break?

Well, there’s always spending the day on the couch watching television or catching up on movies you haven’t seen in ages. This is always a favorite past time of most college students, especially when you consider our brains have been in overdrive for the past fifteen weeks. So spend a few days relaxing and making your list of what you want to do over break.

Once you get tired of sitting on the couch and sleeping all day, it’s time to get out there and have some fun!

A good idea if you just need to keep busy would be to go exercise at the gym. If you don’t have a membership, walk the dog or walk yourself. Find some cool parks in your local area and go explore for a while. Take some friends, or use it as time to yourself.

Bring a camera so you can take pictures of nature, but leave your phone in the car for once so you can truly appreciate the sights around you.

If it snows, have some friends over and play in the snow like you did when you were kids.

Find the biggest hill around and go sledding, this is always fun at night too! Make a fort or have a snowball fight. It’s fun to remember what it was like to be a kid once in a while.

Since you’re not in school, it may be a great time to pick up a new hobby.

Learn to play the guitar, or the piano. Teach yourself from YouTube videos, this could entertain you for hours at a time.

Another idea is to go to the movies during the day. Our breaks are longer than kids in school, so the theaters won’t be crowded during the day, and tickets are normally cheaper.

If you’re looking to pay it forward, you can volunteer at your local animal shelter, women’s shelter, or soup kitchen. This could be a great way to keep busy, and it not only benefits others, but makes you feel good too!

Cook a meal for a next door neighbor, help them take out the  trash, or do some random act of kindness.

Even if the holidays are over, it doesn’t mean the kindness has to end. It will keep you busy, make someone else happy, and make you feel great about yourself!

If you’re looking for something more entertaining to do, go to the city.

Around the holidays New York City is always a great place to be! You can take the Megabus for as cheap as $10.

Remember to make plans accordingly, and don’t forget about traffic!

If you’re not feeling the hectic NYC, visit Philadelphia for the day or spend the weekend.

A great thing to do when visiting Philly is heading to the Blue Cross RiverRink at Penn’s Landing where you can ice skate. It’s cheap, fun, and great for all ages.

If you don’t want to go to the city to go ice skating, then get a group of friends and go at your local rink.

Chances are one person in your group of friends can teach you how to skate if you don’t already know.

After Christmas when you’re holding a ton of money from your family, head to Atlantic City and stay the night for some fun and gambling.

If you are 21, it’s an experience that you’ll never forget. Not to mention the fact that the casinos won’t be nearly as busy as they are during the summer.

If you’re beginning to miss your friends from ESU, take a mini road trip and spend a few nights with them.

Visit their hometown, meet their family and friends, and get to know a little more about them just based off of where they come from.

This can be a great idea because it gets you out of the house when your parents are starting to drive you nuts. It is also a new experience and a new place that you can say you have visited.

Like visiting friends, if you have family that lives far away, maybe even another state, this is a great road trip to take as well. Maybe they even live somewhere warm, and you can see the sun for a few days.

There are plenty of things to do over winter break. We have five weeks off and we should all use the time wisely.

So whether you decide to stay at home and do a whole lot of nothing over break, or you travel to friends and family, we should all be able to come back refreshed and ready for the spring semester in January.

Whether you want to stay home, or go out, have plenty of money, or are on a budget, there are tons of options to keep you busy this winter break!

Email Colleen at:
cer1810@live.esu.edu