One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced this semester was spring break, or lack thereof. Having just graduated from my undergraduate institution last May, I was accustomed to having a week-long spring break that consists of going somewhere to escape my current struggles at school. With the exception of the pandemic, spring break was always a time for me and my family to go to New York City to visit family. I never realized that graduate school meant that I would graduate from week-long breaks to a one-day break. Of course, this accounts for the time during the break that I would be doing work, in which then the break does not really become a break. But, I digress!
As much as I would love to have longer breaks, the one that I received this semester taught me the value of relaxation and doing absolutely nothing. Yes, nothing. Nothing can mean lying in bed all day, binging Schitt’s Creek, or playing with your roommate’s dog (which doubles as pet therapy). That being said, having this short break allows me to do nothing as well as time to think. Yes, there is not much time to plan and book a whirlwind vacation on some tropical resort, but it alternatively gives me time to think about my role in my program. It gives me time to think about all the places I can go with my degrees, and where exactly I will end up. Nothing does not have to mean nothing. In graduate school, we make the most out of what we have, even if that includes nothing.
I used to be so much more excited about spring break, and now I look forward to a day off of Zoom. But, I see it as a rite of passage, as a form of “adulting” of sorts. This does not mean I will never find myself on a beach in Hawaii, but it does mean I am finding ways to keep myself motivated in graduate school while focusing on my studies. With current circumstances, much of the time we spend is indoors or in limited interaction. That being said, even if you want to do “nothing,” you always have the option to do it from a more tropical location.