How High School Students Can Make the Most of Spring Break
It’s hard to believe that Spring Break is already here! After months of hard work, educators and students can finally take a deep breath and relax for a moment before the last big push to the end of the school year.
While a much-needed and well-deserved break is essential to recharge our batteries, it’s also important to consider Spring Break as a prime opportunity for our clients—especially our college-bound Juniors and Seniors—to make the most out of their time off from their regular school routine.
By utilizing their long break for test prep and college planning, completing tasks on their to-do list, and effectively managing their time, students can gain a major advantage. Being proactive over the break will ultimately simplify the management of their springtime challenges.
So, before you say “See you after Break!,” encourage your students to take advantage of their time off by working on and knocking out a few (or all!) of their should- and must-dos.
Managing Time
One of the most challenging skills to learn between high school and college is how to effectively manage your time when you don’t have a set schedule in place. Without alarms and school bells reminding you to get up and get moving, it is very easy to get caught up in sleeping in until noon, lounging around all day, zoning out in front of the TV or phone, and wasting the days away over long breaks.
It’s far better for your mental and physical health to get a set amount of sleep, and create even a loose schedule for every day. Think about it— how do those wasted days make you feel? Well rested? Recharged? No, they usually make you feel even more tired and, before you know it, your break is over and you have little to show for it.
Learning to manage your time when school isn’t in session is an essential skill that will not only make students more productive and responsible now but will serve them very well during college when they have to manage their own time every day.
To help your students manage their time better, share with them our 8 Effective Time Management Strategies for College-Bound Students. These are simple yet powerful strategies that work!
Narrowing Down List of Colleges
If they haven’t done so already, Spring Break is a great chance for students to start their list of prospective colleges and universities. By drafting a list of schools, they can get started on:
filling in any gaps of information through research and browsing school websites,
application requirements, and
dividing those schools into categories:
reach, match, and safety schools as well as
By doing so, they’ll get a better idea of which schools are a good fit and it’ll be easier to narrow down their list of colleges worth applying to. For tips on how to effectively narrow down that list, check out our post: How to Help Students Narrow Down Their College Search.
Touring College Campuses
With a narrowed-down college list, students can schedule college campus tours. Touring a college campus can give additional and authentic insight into whether or not the school is a good fit for them.
Some colleges take advantage of their empty campuses over Spring Break to host college campus walking tours for prospective students while other schools invite applicants to check out what campus life looks like by inviting applicants to sit in on lectures and participate in college activities.
Can’t tour a campus in person? Many colleges and universities provide virtual campus tours or an online presentation.
Creating an Application Checklist
Spring Break is the perfect opportunity for college-bound students—particularly our Juniors—to create their college application(s) checklist.
For every college application, there is a list of elements that must be included. And, for every college and university, those essential elements of the application may vary.
By taking the time to curate a comprehensive application checklist for each prospective school, students will have a much easier time keeping track of what they have done and what they have left to do to get their applications submitted on time.
Check out our post: College Admissions Basics: What You Need to Know as a Test-Prep Tutor written by college admissions expert Virginia Kerrigan Ruehrwein of Total Student Support for tips and timelines to follow.
Engaging in Volunteer Experiences
There are always opportunities for students to participate in volunteer work, and Spring Break is the optimal time for students to get involved in their communities.
While volunteering might be a requirement for high school graduation, it also offers students both personal and educational advantages. Participation in community-based projects allows students to make a meaningful contribution to their communities. Simultaneously, they acquire new skills, broaden their perspectives, and may even discover new interests. All of this in addition to some remarkable experiences they can add to their college resumes.
Many high school websites have a Youth Volunteer Opportunities page for students to find local community-based projects within their own towns through places like the local library, animal shelter, and food pantry. Organizations like the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, the Family “Y” (YMCA), Special Olympics, and Habitat for Humanity are larger, nationwide organizations that also offer students great opportunities to get involved and make a difference.
Need more ideas? Read our post: Helping Students Find the Perfect Extracurricular Opportunities.
Working on Personal Projects
The best part of time off from your regular schedule is making time for personal projects. Now, as an adult, this looks like house projects that I’ve put off for a while and taxes. But, for students, it’s an excellent time to dabble in those hobbies that they love such as playing the guitar, painting on canvas, coding a game, writing poetry, photographing nature, building a computer, or making jewelry.
These personal projects can be more than just a relaxing hobby, they can help college applicants build a well-rounded portfolio by showcasing their unique talents and personal interests. Personal projects are an awesome way for multi-faceted applicants to add more value to their college portfolio and stand out from the other college applicants.
For tips on how to help your students get started, check out our post: Building a College Portfolio: How to Help Your Clients Get Started.
Do your students need ideas for personal projects? Share: Building A College Portfolio: How Students Can Display Creative Works and Building A College Portfolio: Traditional and Nontraditional College Essays That Get Applicants Noticed to help spark their creativity.
Applying for Scholarships or Internships
Spring Break is an opportune time—particularly for our Seniors—to apply for local, national, public, and private scholarships for college. There are plenty of scholarships ripe for the picking—students just need help figuring out where to look.
Their high school’s website is a great place to start. Many local organizations, foundations, and businesses advertise available scholarships there. Additionally, there are much larger, national organizations and businesses that offer scholarships and aid. For a list of suggestions, check out our post: College Scholarships Up For Grabs: Have Your High School Seniors Taken Advantage?.
In addition to scholarships, internships are fantastic opportunities for students to get first-hand experience and real insight into their fields of interest. Spring Break is a great time to apply for available internships being offered to high school students. While there are age requirements, older Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors should consider applying. Here is some helpful advice on what types of internships high school students should look for and how you can help them: Top 7 High School Internships: A Guide for Test-Prep Tutors.
Reading for Pleasure
Reading is my favorite pastime, and it’s not easy to find time to simply sit back, relax, and enjoy a good book. For both our avid readers and those who may require a little more encouragement, spending some time reading over Spring Break can reap huge benefits.
Reading for pleasure can improve vocabulary, develop critical thinking skills, and provide exposure to new ideas and perspectives. Follow our tips for 5 Strategies to Help Students Turn Reading Into Test Prep. It’s a simple and enjoyable way to sharpen those reading skills!
Reading for pleasure is really all about leaning into a genre that will hold your interest. Fiction or nonfiction, when I read for pleasure, I want an un-put-downable book—it holds my interest from start to finish. So, suggest that your students find a subject matter in a genre they’ll enjoy. Maybe they’re interested in Abraham Lincoln and vampires; believe it or not, there’s a book for that!
You may want to suggest the classics—they certainly have their benefits—but also think about more modern takes on the classics. There are some awesome retellings of Jane Austen’s books like Alexander McCall Smith’s Emma: A Modern Retelling. Or, consider some of the biographies, memoirs, and female authors we mentioned in our last post: Women’s History Month: Celebrating the Most Remarkable Women in History Through Test Prep.
No matter what they choose, reading a variety of print—books, magazines, news articles, etc.— is excellent practice!
Prepping for the ACT® & SAT®
We shared the Spring 2024 ACT® and SAT® test dates back in January and here we are, already approaching the end of March.
Whether your students are in the 11th hour of test prep or are getting close to it, encourage them to take advantage of Spring Break to buckle down and study without the interruptions of school and extracurriculars.
Now, I’m not suggesting that their entire break be filled with test prep, but there are many advantages to keeping up with their practice and studying to—at the very least—maintain their progress. The amount of time spent on test prep really depends on the student. For more information on how much practice your students need, check out: The Best Answer to "How Long Should I Study for the SAT®/ACT®?".
In addition to practice and study time, Spring Break is a good time for students to register and prepare for any upcoming test days. To help students get organized for test day, share our 7 Essential Reminders for Students to Cross Off Their Test Day Checklist as well as our Free Ebook: Illustrated Test Day Checklist for ACT® & SAT® Students to help them keep track of what they need to do to register and prepare for their upcoming ACT® or SAT®.
Balancing Life and College Prep
Spring is typically jam-packed for students with end-of-the-year projects, exams, extracurriculars, and sports. Once Spring Break is over, there is a huge push to get to the finish line: Summer Break.
To get through the challenging months ahead, advise your students to take some time over Spring Break to get organized. The more prepared they are for how to juggle all of their academic and personal responsibilities, the easier it will be for them to manage their tasks and busy schedules through to the end of the school year.
The spring can be overwhelming for students. To help prevent burnout, we’ve provided some essential tips on Balancing Final Exams and Test Prep: The Best Ways to Study for Both and Springtime Challenges: How to Help Students Balance Life and Test Prep.
Preventing Senioritis
Let’s be honest, we all experience some level of “Senioritis” once we get to this point in the year. The change in weather and the longer, sunnier days can make most of us want to skip right to Summer. Unfortunately, Spring has just begun and we’ve got a whole lot of work to do!
To prevent getting stuck in a rut of “Senioritis,” we’ve got to encourage our students (and each other!) to stay focused. The best way to stay focused? Take care of yourself and stay motivated. Encourage your students to practice some of those wellness strategies that we’ve shared, both during and outside of test prep and study sessions. Be sure to try some out for yourself when you feel that slump coming on, too!
And for our Seniors who are most vulnerable to “Senioritis?” Read our post: Senioritis: How to Help Your Students Fend Off the Viral Affliction for the best strategies to help them make the most of what’s left of their Senior year.
This Spring Break, it’s essential to remind your clients to fully utilize this valuable time. While it’s important to relax and recharge, it’s equally crucial to seize the opportunity to accomplish important tasks. Whether it’s preparing for the SAT® or ACT®, working on college applications, or engaging in meaningful volunteer work, each activity can contribute significantly to their personal and academic growth. By striking a balance between relaxation and productivity, students can make the most of their Spring Break, setting themselves up for success in the future. Remember, every step taken during this break can bring them closer to their goals and aspirations.
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