The Senior Series: Should Seniors Skip Spring Break this Year?

At the end of my summer internship two years ago, my boss offered a single piece of advice for the remainder of my college career: take an awesome senior-year spring break. Why? He said that once I graduated into the “career world” it would become nearly impossible to ever find one week during which all of my friends and I would be free to go anywhere and have fun.

I’m disappointed to report that I’ve let my former boss down. Instead of relaxing in sunny Florida, I’ll be spending my spring break in snowy Ohio, working hard to land an entry-level career. The frustrating part is, I already spent a big chunk of my spring break savings back in January traveling for an out-of-town job interview and now I feel like the responsible thing to do is save the rest for future non-reimbursable interviews.

There’s something else about spring break that just doesn’t feel right given today’s employment environment. Senior year spring break is supposed to be a celebration.. a last chance to commemorate the days before our careers become the focus of our lives. But right now many of us don’t have careers, or upcoming-careers; some don’t even have career-prospects. In two and a half months many seniors will graduate into unemployment and move back in with mom and dad.

On the other hand, maybe spring break can be a chance for seniors to cheer themselves up from the bleakness of the employment environment. Maybe some, if they play their cards right, will turn vacation into a networking opportunity.

If you’re a senior, did the employment environment alter your spring break plans this year?