If you’re of the almost two million students that will travel this coming March for Spring Break, you’re probably on your way to making your final payment towards what just might be the trip that defines your college years.
Whether you’re an experienced Spring Break pro, or first-timer, you’ll want to follow (or at least attempt to follow) these pretty simple dos and don’ts. After all, we do want you to come back feeling like you’ve had the trip of a lifetime, because no matter what, you deserve this!
Let’s start with Facebook. We all know you’re going to be posting “something” on your wall. And there’s a very good chance you’ll be posting a lot of, well, unflattering photos to go along with your questionable wall posts. As a student, you might think it’s fun to upload a picture of you taking a Jäger shot, but your (future) boss might not. Just remember, your Facebook account can be a factor in your job prospects and personal relationships. Careless wall posts can damage your reputation, and no one wants you to regret your Spring Break experience.
Anything you post can be accessed by the public and once your friends and employers have read it, no amount of deleting will make them forget. It’s time, in other words, to get smart about what you should and should not do on Facebook while you’re partying.
- DO post fun pics of your Spring Break. Seeing as it’s supposed to be a fun trip, and part of the fun is sharing these moments, a photo of you dancing at a club with white foam pouring from the ceiling, or shots of you and your friends posing with your beer bong on the beach is a legit moment to own. Especially if you look like you’re genuinely having fun. However, consider the downside of posting too many party pics…
- DON’T let your parents or coworkers see all your tagged pics… and don’t let people tag you in pictures without your approval. You may think you have control over the pictures you’ve taken and tag, but you’ll probably forget who else brought their camera that night you went all out at the bar (and that person probably isn’t reading this list of dos and don’ts). Take a minute to go over your privacy settings and friend lists before heading to the airport. In the long run, this might save you from embarrassment, and more importantly will preserve your future professional reputation.
- DON’T post too many status updates during your trip. Rather than show people that you’re tied to your phone, show them that you’re too busy having fun. Remember, you’re on vacation. Constantly thinking about how to word the next amazingly funny status update is only keeping you away from what’s really important, which includes screaming “Hell Ya!” to every car driving by with 20 inch spinners. Plus, your friends and family do want to know how you’re doing, but they really don’t care what you’re doing every minute of the day. Restraint is best.
- DON’T post anything on Facebook between midnight and 6 am. The chances of potentially posting something you’ll regret the next morning are incredibly high and by the time you wake up at noon the following day, dozens of friends, distant acquaintances, and family members will have already seen it. You won’t be able to take it back. Remember: restraint is best.
Now that we’ve got Facebook out of the way, here’s a simple checklist of things to remember in order to make you look like the envy of your college friends, and not the butt end of every campus joke:
- DO meet new people. After all, nothing is better than meeting someone for a week, becoming Facebook friends, and then never seeing them again.
- DO try something new. This is the time to do it and do it to the extreme. Parasailing is something you can’t just do anywhere, and most, if not all the beach destinations, offer it on the cheap so that you’ll be interested in trying it. Ever go deep sea fishing or swimming with the dolphins? How about renting a couple jet skis and explore along the coast line? All of these activities should be within your budget and will only help make your experience more memorable.
- DO use sunblock! Looking bronzed is hot. Being as red as a hooker’s lipstick on a Saturday night is not.
- DON’T do anything stupid that will get you arrested. You’re going to do stupid things, we know that. Just do your best to control your stupidity and not do anything illegal. Sobering up in the back seat of a state trooper vehicle is not a good memory to bring back home.
- DON’T fall in love. We can all admit that there’s nothing more appealing than a quick fling, but no one wants to hear you cry on the ride home because you actually fell for the person you met while drunk at the bar.
- DO expect to be single if you’re in a relationship prior to Spring Break. If you’re significant other can’t join you for the week, the facebook pics alone will be enough to bury you. Trust us, we’ve been down this road. If the two of you plan on going down together, you may be thinking that this will be something of a romantic getaway. Wrong. Chances are you’ll both have a lot of explaining to do during the long ride home.
- Absolutely and Undeniably DO have fun. You only get to be a college student once so enjoy it while you can.