Tying Up Loose Ends: 5 Things to Remember Before Leaving on Spring Break

There’s something about spring break that gets people in the procrastination spirit.

No matter if you’re leaving tomorrow or in two weeks, you are so excited for the trip you have been planning and you don’t want to go to class, study or even head to work. You’re tired of studying and all you want to do is lounge on the beach with a margarita in your hand and a floppy hat on your head.

But before you can dig your freshly painted toes into the white sands of paradise, you’ve got plenty of things to take care of so you don’t end up coming home to a bunch of problems that will stress you out.

Make sure to plan ahead so you take care of everything you need to get done before you leave.

Hand in all assignments

Do you seriously want to go on vacation without handing in that homework assignment, project, paper or take-home test? No, you don’t, because all you’ll end up doing is fretting about it the whole trip.

I know the last thing you want to do the day before vacation is write an 8-page paper, but believe it or not, putting it off for after vacation will only cause problems. If the paper was already due, now you’re facing a deduction on your grade and your teacher thinking you’re a slacker. Plus, all you’ll be thinking about during your vacation is that stupid paper you have to complete the minute you get home.

If the paper or assignment is due directly after spring break, you should at least get a jump on it so you aren’t struggling to finish it the night you get home when you’ll be tired and jet-lagged. If you don’t want to do the entire assignment, try writing up an outline with a lot of detail or simply finishing half of it so you cut down on your work load.

Double-check your work schedule

You may have told your boss 6 months ago that you are taking off this week for spring break, but he/she doesn’t have the best memory and believe it or not, may not remember something you told him/her that long ago. If you didn’t remind your boss in advance (say, two weeks ago), you may want to do that NOW.

Remind your boss that you won’t be coming into work all week because of spring break and that you DID in fact tell him/her a long time ago.

While it’s not technically your problem if he/she forgot, it is your obligation to remind your boss so he/she can replace your hours during the week you are gone. By giving your boss notice, you are showing responsibility and he/she will appreciate you trying to help fill the holes during your absence.

If you didn’t tell your boss at all (and you’re leaving next week), make sure to tell him/her immediately so your job will still be waiting for you when you get back.

Pay all of Your bills

While many of you don’t know what I’m talking about, there are a bunch of you who do in fact pay your own bills. Even if you only have one bill, like a cell phone or cable bill, many of these are sent out in the beginning of the month (which coincidentally, is when spring break falls for many students), so be sure to take care of all your bills before you hop on the plane.

You may not have access to a computer or the internet wherever you are going so if you don’t want to call your parents mid-week, begging them to sign into the account that you can’t remember the password for to pay your bill, take care of it now.

Sign in to all of your billing accounts online and double-check your balances and make sure you don’t have any outstanding payments for the week you will be gone. Once all of your bills are in order, you won’t have to worry about getting that phone call or email about your phone being shut off or something of that nature.

The same goes for rent checks; many are collected the first or second week of the month, so whether you or your parents are paying, make sure to drop the check in the mail or remind your rents to do so.

Deal with your car

If you have a car on-campus or you park it somewhere on the street in the city, you should prepare for where you are going to put your car for the week you are gone on vacation. The last thing you want to deal with is a stack of parking tickets on your windshield or picking your car up from the impound lot so skip all the drama and plan ahead.

If you know your friends are going to stay on-campus during break, ask if you can leave your car in their driveway or park on the road (legally) near their house. If you have a car on-campus, leave it in a protected, secure parking lot that is checked regularly that doesn’t tow cars.

If you must, leave your car at the airport or drive it home and leave it with your parents for the week.

Packages and mail

If you’re leaving for a week and you live off-campus or somewhere where the mail is not kept safely and securely in an office, do not order packages or things online that you know are going to sit on your front doorstep for a week collecting rain water or getting stolen.

Talk to your neighbors if you have something coming that you need picked up and have someone collect your magazines/mail/newspapers. You don’t want to come home to an overstuffed mailbox full of wet, soggy bills or a pair of shoes that were ruined because they were left out in a box on your stoop which is now covered in a foot of snow.

Spring break is an amazing time to relax and have fun with your friends, so make sure to take care of everything before leaving so you don’t come home from a relaxing vacation stressed out of your mind!