Approaching one year of being in quarantine, many students are about to face their second spring break while dealing with COVID-19. Last year, grappling with the transition from in-person school to online, many spent their break unsure of what to do. With that said, there are plenty of things one can do to pass the time.

Go for a hike

Having dealt with cold weather and snow for far too long, spring break denotes the changing of the season, and, hopefully, the start of nicer, warmer weather. Because of that, spring break is the perfect time to get out of the house and go for a walk or a hike. There are many great tools for finding hiking spots near you; a cursory Google search got me the website AllTrails, which will find trails near your location.

Binge watch a TV Show 

With the sheer number of streaming services available, there are a near-infinite amount of TV shows to watch. Therefore, why not spend your break exploring the intricacies of another world? One show that I often recommend to people is Mr. Robot, found on Amazon Prime Video. There are plenty of other good shows, such as Disney’s “WandaVision” or Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit.”

Read a book

Reading a good book can be a very refreshing, cathartic experience. That, plus the studies that indicate the positive benefits it has on your mind, make it the perfect pastime for spring break. Many libraries around the country have adjusted their policies in order to remain COVID-19 friendly by allowing people to borrow books online and having them sent directly to their phone. A great app for this, which I have used, is Libby.

Learn a new skill

With all of the extra free time that spring break gives, there is plenty of time to learn a new skill or start a new hobby. A great skill you could learn in this time is a new language. Whether just for fun or in anticipation of international travel, learning a new language provides many benefits and is a great use of time.

And if you don’t want to learn a new spoken language, you could always learn to code instead.

Order food from a local business

Dealing with the repercussions of COVID-19, local businesses have been struggling to stay open. If you have the means, making a conscious effort to support local restaurants and other businesses can go a long way. Spring break is the perfect time to branch out and try new food near you.