With spring break in only a few days, excitement and tensions are high as we impatiently await our freedom. Some are lucky enough to be looking forward to a sunny trip to the south, but some are just excited to have a break. If you’re the latter, don’t feel bad or feel pressured to have those lavish spring break plans.

Movies like “Spring Breakers” paint this awesome picture of what college students ‘usually’ do and are supposed to do over spring break, but the movie also paints an incredibly unrealistic picture.

Let’s be real. We’re college students, and unless you, your family or your parents are rich, it’s just not very feasible to be able to buy a vacation to Florida amidst our student loans, car payments and living expenses. 

It’s not just the media, however. Although I’m sure nobody has experienced a spring break quite like the movie “Spring Breakers,” many people here at UWO and among other UW campuses do (somehow) have the funds for a spring break. I know it can be especially hard when watching your mutuals’ Snapchat stories while you’re sitting at home, but don’t be discouraged. 

Feeling this pressure and fear of missing out is a normal reaction, but don’t let it ruin your spring break. 

At the end of the day, this is your spring break too. No matter where you’re going to be for spring break, we all get a break from school. All you have to do is make the most of it. You can spend time with family and friends, make money, work ahead or just look to the column on the left to see what other students are doing. 

I think a lot of us fall into this false perception that the majority of students have these crazy spring break trips and plans, but I don’t think this is the case. I picked a random bunch of people to ask about their spring break plans for the column, and not even one of them is going on a vacation. This is actually the majority, those on spring break just tend to speak louder, AKA post more. 

Truthfully, you can have just as much fun here. Oshkosh has many fun things to do, such as exploring downtown shops, restaurants, and events, paying a visit to Glow In The Park Indoor Mini Golf on Koeller Street, or planning a picnic at Menominee Park Beach.

If you’re still feeling the itch of wanting to get out of Oshkosh, you can always do what I like to call a “decaf” spring break. Find somewhere within driving distance (or bus distance), bring your favorite people, and explore a new place. You can even plan your own itinerary, or just go on adventure mode and see where the day takes you.

You don’t need to travel to a tropical location or have buckets of money in order to have a good spring break. So, don’t cave to the pressures and waste your spring break wishing you were somewhere else. Use this time to refresh and revitalize so you can kick butt for round two of the school year.