ENJOY YOUR SPRING BREAK WITHOUT EMPTYING YOUR BANK ACCOUNT

By Ahmed Farid, Staff Writer

Spring Break is finally here, and after two months of projects, lectures and midterms, there’s a whole week to relax and enjoy your time. But sometimes it seems like all the things to possibly do during spring break costs a fortune. Since most of us college students are on a very tight budget, we can’t all enjoy a trip to France this break, no matter how tasty those croissants might be.

That’s why we decided to take the phrase “money doesn’t buy happiness” quite literally and feature some ways to have an amazing break without having to cash in your financial aid.

First, travelling abroad is not an option. According to HuffPost, the average international flight is nearly $1000 whereas the average local flight is around $300. So, just by choosing to have a trip in the country, you’ve already managed to save a fortune. I promise you that unless your only goal from travelling abroad is to get bragging rights, there is nothing you can do abroad that you can’t do in the U.S. Want to go to the beach? Florida’s beaches are just as good as any out there. Want to see an iconic building? The Empire State Building is not that hard to find. Want to get an adrenaline rush? Kings Dominion is literally less than an hour away.

Raven Royal, a Mason student, managed to go online and find a flight to Chicago for only $180.

“I looked at all the flights leaving from the airports in the area,” she says. “I wasn’t really picky about what airline I was going to travel on either, whatever I could afford.” Thanks to her ability to cut back on her costs and find the most efficient way to spend her money, Royal will get to see her first professional basketball game as she watches the Chicago Bulls play.

If, however, you feel your life is over if you do not leave the country for spring break, there might still be some hope for you.

Senya Donkor, a senior, visited Jamaica twice before and immediately fell in love with the country. She decided to go back this spring break and create a music video, titled “Hidden Treasures”. She collaborated with young Jamaican children for the video and hopes it will help break stereotypes about Jamaica and help kids “ignite their abilities”. The way she was able to fund all this is through Mason’s OSCAR Program, where she applied for funding for her project and was approved, in addition to her gofundme page where people can donate at gofundme.com/senyahiddentreasures.

Finally, if you are staying in the area and thinking there is nothing here for you to do, rest assured there is plenty. If you’re more of an outdoor person, you can go spend the day at National Zoo or take your friends and go kayaking in the Potomac. You can also enjoy an afternoon walk around Georgetown or take a selfie with our 16th President at the Lincoln Memorial. If the weather gets too cold– or too hot, you never know this time of year– go visit one of the many museums in D.C. You might actually learn something interesting.

So this spring break, enjoy a break from all the stress and just take a moment for yourself, Remember, you’ve earned this after all the hard work these past two months. So stay safe, relaxed, and most importantly, happy!

Graphic by Billy Ferguson