# Current/former college students: what did you do on spring break(s)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 9, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536 "2021-03-09T15:14:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/1 "2021-03-09T15:14:39Z")
About a year ago, and again now, the news is reporting on crowds of students descending on destinations in Florida to enjoy a bacchanalian spring break. Thinking back to my own college days, I had friends who did this sort of thing, but I never did. Apart from going to a movie or dining out now and then, I stuck to a pretty tight entertainment budget. Spring break week? I went home (to my parents’ house) and worked at a fast-food restaurant. What did you do on your spring break? If you’ve got kids in college, these days, what are they doing? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/2 "2021-03-09T15:32:46Z")
Back when I went (late 1980s), Daytona Beach was still the top Spring Break spot (Fort Lauderdale having shut down SB years prior), although Cancun and South Padre Island were starting to emerge as SB destinations. Long story short, it was a week-long party. Lots of sex, lots of booze, more sex, more booze, plenty of vomiting. Likely there were drugs, too, but that wasn’t my scene. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/3 "2021-03-09T15:36:20Z")
I never did the whole go to Florida thing in college. One year my girlfriend and I went to Minneapolis to visit her sister. Yeah, spring break to Minneapolis for spring break from North Carolina. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/4 "2021-03-09T15:53:15Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Apart from going to a movie or dining out now and then, I stuck to a pretty tight entertainment budget. Spring break week? I went home (to my parents’ house) Pretty much this. I honestly don’t remember what my classmates did. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/5 "2021-03-09T15:55:06Z")
I was on the track team so spring break was in the middle of my season so typically it meant I got extra time to practice. My freshman year (for some reason I don’t remember) I actually went on a road trip with some kids from my dorm floor and we drove from Denver to Phoenix to LA to my hometown and back to Denver. It was ok all dudes, the highlight of the trip was we did a tour at Cal Tech since one of them was thinking of transferring and we saw Stephen Hawking out getting some sun. My sophomore year was was of the largest blizzards Denver has ever seen and the first time they had closed my college (only because it was spring break) due to weather in like 50 years or something. We got 3 feet of snow in 48 hours. I spent that spring break drinking a keg of beer by myself (my roommate didn’t drink) and watching march madness. The next three years were all sports. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/6 "2021-03-09T15:57:04Z")
I did pretty much nothing on spring breaks except stay in the dorms (if allowed; some students were allowed to just stay and chill) or visit friends. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/7 "2021-03-09T15:58:41Z")
I was in college 1979-83. We were on the quarter system. I don’t recall a spring break, per se. If we had time off between quarters, we went home, or to someone’s home. We never did Florida, Mexico, or the like. I don’t recall hearing about anyone at any school that did that, although it must have been happening. ETA: When my kids were in college, they didn’t do “spring break” either. As far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/8 "2021-03-09T15:59:49Z")
Freshman year I came home to spend time with my HTH (home town honey.) Sophomore year, me and two friends did a road trip to Daytona Beach with a stopover at a friend’s house in the Atlanta area. I don’t recall us actually going to the beach though. We did catch a spring training game before the return trip back, though. Junior & Senior years I do not remember doing anything. I think I just stayed put at the apartment and worked. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/9 "2021-03-09T16:12:37Z")
We went hiking or skiing, depending on the snow that year. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/10 "2021-03-09T16:37:50Z")
The dorms were open and I think the dining halls too, with limited capacity. I think I just hung out on a semi-ghost-town campus most years. I also did not have the budget for traditional Spring Breakery, and why would I have wanted to spend hours driving to be at home for a week? ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/11 "2021-03-09T17:46:07Z")
There were 2 spring break trips that I remember. I frankly don’t recall what I did for the other years. This was back in the '77-'80 time period. Daytona 10 - 10 of us piled into a station wagon and pickup truck and drove from Michigan to Daytona Beach. Because we were all poor, we camped in a couple of big tents at some campground. There was definitely drinking - but even though we split off into separate small groups most days I’m not thinking there was drugs or sex happening. We were nerdy losers, y’know. A couple of events stood out. I ran into someone I knew from hi-school. He was dealing and pimping out a couple of girls. Needless to say, we didn’t travel in the same circles, but it was a small town so we knew of each other. Also, me and a buddy went to a strip bar, so he could see some body parts for the first time (I was further along the timeline than him.) It was a hoot watching him try to chat up one of the dancers. Otherwise, it was beach time, and a trip to Disneyworld. Broadway - In a later year, we spent the week in New York City seeing shows and hanging out with my buddy’s older brother who lived there. We did a lot of barhopping around the gay bars and discos. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/12 "2021-03-09T18:08:13Z")
I’ve never traveled for spring break, either in high school or college. As a certified Poor Kid, I just treated it as more hours available for work. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/13 "2021-03-09T18:11:01Z")
I was kinda boring and mostly went home to visit my parents, except the year I was spending a semester abroad in Spain, when they came to visit me and we went to Barcelona. Side note: most colleges, including the one where I teach, are not actually _having_ spring break this year because of concerns about students bringing Covid-19 home to their families or back to the campus. However, the campus did end up closing for exactly a week due to the icepocalypse, which makes me suspect that Eostre does not like it when you cancel spring break and SMITES YOU WITH HER WRATH. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/14 "2021-03-09T18:19:04Z")
Went home to my parents and to visit my HTH, whose college spring breaks never coincided with mine. I’d stay with her at her dorm, she’d come visit me in my dorm on her spring breaks. That was 1975-1979. It worked out well so we moved in together in 1980 and have spent all spring breaks together since. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/15 "2021-03-09T18:46:26Z")
I was older than my classmates - aged 22-25. I only took one trip on spring break - I drove to Denver from Indiana to visit a friend for a week. The closest we got to drunken revelry was taking a tour of the Coors brewery. But I never was much of a drinker and I don’t like being around a crowd of drunks, plus beaches are on my “meh” list. That pretty much sums it up. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/16 "2021-03-09T19:13:28Z")
I usually visited my family for a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/17 "2021-03-09T19:16:59Z")
Worked full time at my student job. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/18 "2021-03-09T19:27:46Z")
Undergrad: nothing too special. I would fly home for the week. When I was in vet school, there was a symposium for vet students from all the US (and maybe Canada) vet schools that took place every spring break. They took place at a different vet school every year. There were lectures and wet labs in the daytime and parties at night. There were also competitions (veterinary medicine knowledge, as well as sports like kickball and inner tube water polo). I always had a blast at those symposia. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/19 "2021-03-09T23:49:33Z")
About 20 of us from my fraternity drove to Panama City Beach, FL for a week my junior year. Senior year a group of 5 of us flew to South Padre Island, TX for a week. Basically a lot of drinking, hanging out on the beach, meeting people, clubbing, random shit like jet skis, etc. Lots of fun. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536/20 "2021-03-10T02:11:59Z")
A week off from school just meant an extra 40 hours to work at my job / businesses. Social was just not part of my college experience. Sadly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-former-college-students-what-did-you-do-on-spring-break-s/937536.md?page=2)