Alternative Spring Break Opportunities as a Grad Student

Productive Alternative Spring Break Options for Grad Students

EXPECTATIONS | SUCCEEDING

2/6/2020 by HIGHERGRAD

Spring break is approaching and many college students across the country already have their trips booked. This week every spring is traditionally the last big celebration leading up to the conclusion of another college year. For some, it is an even bigger party if in fact you are set to graduate. Although the majority of college students are looking forward to a week in Florida or Mexico, some others seek what is becoming known as alternative spring break options.

What is Alternative Break?

In its simplest form, an alternative spring break is where you forgo the beach vacation and drinking games for something more meaningful. Most often, spring break alternatives consist of volunteer service. A small group of students will join together to travel somewhere to help another group of people in need. These so-called spring break mission trips aid people with social and economic issues while cultivating leadership abilities and fostering skills for instituting positive change in our communities. On the other hand, spring break alternatives also include less motivated experiences. You still may be far from the beach or a tropical paradise, but you are focused more on your graduate program and yourself. An alternative spring break can be anything where you take this time away from classes to focus on something important in your life.

Graduate students arguably do not get as excited about spring break. They have chosen to continue on in their education and have mostly "grown-up" from the party days of undergraduate life. Don't get us wrong, grad school students still have a good time. It is just they are focused much more around their careers and education than planning a week-long trip to a tropical destination. For them, an alternative spring break means additional free time such as a week off from their graduate assistantship teaching duties, no classwork, and freedom to catch up on personal time. For graduate students, spring break is a good reprieve from the grind of working to succeed in graduate school.

6 Alternative Spring Break Ideas for Graduate School Students

Many graduate students are looking for ways to spend their time away from graduate school this spring. Some will choose to be involved in traditional spring break alternatives such as a mission or volunteer trip. On the other hand, other grad students will use this time off to their advantage. Here are six productive alternative spring break ideas to consider.

1. Research - All to often your obligations to your graduate school program take up the vast majority of your time. The week away in spring can be spent focusing on your thesis research. Devoting several days of your spring break to starting, continuing, or finishing your research will only help to keep you on track in your graduate program.
2. Work - While others are off spending money on spring break, consider working as a spring break alternative. Either working for your department or an outside, real-world job can be beneficial. Every little bit of extra money helps plus working at any jobs aids in boosting your experience for future careers.
3. Learn Something New - Make your spring break alternative about learning something new. Take a short course in a subject you find interesting or start a learning path in Coursera to boost your resume. Another way to learn something new is to shadow someone in your field. Often your college can connect you with alumni who work in your field and who are willing to have you around for a week learning something about the work you are training for.
4. Relax and Recharge - Sometimes the best alternative spring break is to just take time for yourself. Relax and recharge the batteries so that you can focus on finishing the spring semester strong or preparing for your thesis defense and graduation.
5. Travel Home - A week break gives you an option to travel home if you are studying far from your family. The fast paced life of graduate school provides little opportunities to travel any great distances when classes are in session. Use this week to visit friends and family and rebuild that desire to do well.
6. Organize Your Plan - Spring break occurs in plenty of time before then end of the spring semester. One important spring break alternative to undertake instead of partying is to organize your life. Figure out what you have to finish before the end of the school year, compile a detailed list of what graduate school requirements you still have to complete, or plan you graduation party and start preparing job applications.

You may think that many of these alternative spring break ideas lack the excitement of what you may have experienced as an undergraduate. In most cases you are right. But remember, you are a graduate student and not a freshman in college. You chose to continue your education in order to improve your chances of finding a better job. You chose the difficult path of higher education in search of more knowledge and understanding through research and experiences. Shall we say, you are a more mature student? Spring break alternatives now make the most sense. On the contrary, there is nothing wrong with spending a week on a Florida beach. We have all done it and it is a lot of fun. Consider, however, that many of the same alternative spring break options outlined above can be done from a tropical location!