I'm spending this spring break at home, which I'm super excited about, and I really want to make it count. To try to achieve the perfect balance of productivity, mindfulness, and enjoyment, here are my three goals for the week:

1) Be efficient.

It is all too easy to revert back to summer mode when your'e at home and to avoid responsibilities all day. But when you realize on Sunday night that you got absolutely nothing done for the coming week, it can be quite panic-inducing. There's just something about being home that can make getting your work done impossible. I'll find myself sitting on the couch, laptop at the ready to write an essay, only to discover that I've spent three distracted hours writing nothing. I'm going to try my best this week to do homework more often but in smaller increments of time. This doesn't seem quite as daunting as sitting down on Sunday and having to write an entire essay and also read the book on which you have to write it. I will try to utilize the time my family is asleep or out; this way I won't feel like I'm missing out on anything and I won't feel guilty.

2) Be appreciative.

Thinking back to those nights in the dining hall when the menu just didn't cut it, I am going to appreciate every home-cooked meal I get to enjoy. You don't realize how good you have it at home until you go away to college, but once you do, you become hyperaware of all the deliciousness you took for granted. I will do my best to appreciate being with my family and getting to witness the quirks of home, like the rare occasions my dad spontaneously wants to go out for ice cream after dinner, my mom singing along to a song with lyrics that aren't even remotely correct, or my dog running around in search of a toy every time I enter the house. These are the things you don't realize you miss until you leave.

3) Be present.

The saddest part of spring break is that it goes by so fast. One week is just enough time to settle back into the comforts of home, only to be uprooted once again and jolted back into school and its responsibilities at that week's end. To combat this, I will try to be present for every moment of this long-awaited break. I will try not to spend hours on my phone or online, and instead will have more conversations with my parents and my friends from home. I will go on more outings and enjoy all the favorite spots in my hometown rather than spending an entire day watching Netflix (an all too easy pattern to fall into.) I will go with my mom when she runs errands rather than stay home, I will ask my brother about his senior year of high school, and I will try to enjoy every minuscule detail of getting a break from school life while I can. Hopefully, if I achieve these goals, I can return to school refreshed and prepared to take on the final month of the semester.