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"Hey girls!  I am happy to say that last week I enjoyed my first spring break as a college student! I can&amp;#039;t believe how fast the year as gone. Although fall and spring semester are both about four months long, I feel like spring 2012 is taking FOREVER. I decided not to pay a lot of money to go on location to a spring break hotspot like Panama City Beach or Miami and opted just to spend the week at home. I&amp;#039;m a broke college kid! I&amp;#039;ll put a cruise for next year on my list of things to save up for. I used the week off as a way to relax, catch up on sleep, and spend time with my friends and family that I&amp;#039;ve missed so much. (My brother is 13 and now taller than me! TALK ABOUT SCARY!) Since I don&amp;#039;t have classes on Fridays, I was able to leave Gainesville after my last midterm on Thursday night. I hitched a ride home from my good friend Rachel and we had so much fun listening to throwback music the entire way home. It was a great way to start off our much-needed break.  On Friday I was fortunate enough to visit my old high school and help with the yearbook. I never realized how much I actually missed being a yearbook kid! I also babysat kids that I have been babysitting for a few years now. It was wonderful to see them. I can&amp;#039;t believe how big they&amp;#039;ve gotten! I have also got to catch up with a few friends from high school. I went to the Strawberry Festival in a nearby town with one of my best friends and the next night the girls got together for a fun girls night. If you&amp;#039;re in my situation and you will be spending your break at home, here are five ideas for how you can make the most of it.    Work! If you had a job before you left for college, and you speak to your boss, chances are you can pick up a few shifts while you&amp;#039;re in town. Use your break to make some quick cash instead of spending it. For example, I babysat and watched gladly watched Tangled with my favorite kids! Catch up on your favorite TV shows! Many college students decide to not keep a television in their room. Some don&amp;#039;t keep up with their favorite shows at all because they focus on their studies instead. If you fall into one of these categories, use your break to catch up on shows that you&amp;#039;ve missed. Get a tan! If you live near the beach, take advantage! Even though you didn&amp;#039;t go somewhere tropical for the week you can still catch some sunshine. If you&amp;#039;re into fake tanning that could work too! Even though it may not be warm outside, spending time in the sun can still give you that glow you are looking for. Spring-cleaning! I actually started moving things out of my dorm room already and had a yard sale when I got home. Look through everything you own and see if there are clothes that don&amp;#039;t fit or things you simply don&amp;#039;t want anymore. Read... for fun! Did you start a book before you left for school or over winter break? Take this time to read for enjoyment as opposed to what your professors require. I heard The Hunger Games is pretty good (;  How did you (or will you) spend your spring break? Sound off in the comments! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/school/advice/a17857/caras-spring-break/>