Spring staycation

Whether you’re strapped for cash, need a serious break that doesn’t include the stress of a trip or just haven’t made any plans, you and many other students may have to prepare to spend this spring break without the luxuries of palm trees or packed bags.

When your roommate calls from Ft. Lauderdale, talking about the amazing time she had during the whipped cream bikini contest, don’t despair. Your time can be put to even better use.

Here are some tips to help make your staycation as fun, inspiring or productive as you dream.

Get outside and do something. Drive to the hot pots up Diamond Fork Canyon or find some other staycation- ers to go climb or hike in Rock Canyon, among countless other local options. This way you will have a story to counter the one about the hotties by the pool that will inevitably be retold twenty times. Also, fresh air and exercise lead to endorphins, ergo happiness.

Make yourself the cocktails you would’ve missed out on during the trip. Mai tais, piña coladas and margaritas taste just as delicious, and provide the same amount of buzz, in your living room as in Cabo San Lucas. Mini umbrellas always help.

No friends left to hang out with? Go to a movie or play by yourself. Picking exactly what you want to see is highly underrated. Treat yourself to whatever you want to eat beforehand and you are in for a night of bliss.

Read a book or watch a TV show. Recommendations? Amy Poehler’s Yes Please or Netflix’s House of Cards. Binge watching is almost never more appropriate than during spring break. Try out a new hobby. Always wanted to take a cooking class or begin your SCUBA certification? There’s no better time than your week off. All kinds of classes are taught at the Provo and Orem Recreation centers. Check their websites for prices and schedules.

Catch up on some homework. Real talk — this is a free week of no school that could really help you get caught up on everything you have been putting off. As your friends arrive back in town, but are still fully aboard the train to pre-final hell, you can sail confidently into a more relaxing last few weeks of the semester.

Work, work, work. This one falls more into the productive category, but if you are working to help pay

for your education, you probably can’t afford to pay for a fancy mid-semester vacation anyway. Especially when you’ve got Europe on the agenda for August. Pick up some extra shifts left vacant by spring breakers to keep your plan on track and your checking account in the black.

Sleep. Catch up on the Zs you have been missing due to your combination of an 8 a.m. class and party animal roommates.

We all need different things out of spring break, but we shouldn’t feel bad if our plans wouldn’t make a good MTV reality show. Whatever you do this year, be sure that it’s what you need to recharge and feel good enough to finish the school year strong.