After a miserably cold winter, it is finally the time of year that people have been looking forward to since the first snowfall — spring break.

Although lots of people probably already have their bags packed and are ready for a week of debauchery in a climate much closer to the equator, not everybody is lucky enough to get away and forget about school for a week.

While some people are talking about how much they are looking forward to spring break, others have dentist appointments and taxes to enjoy. However, though you might not be going anywhere, there are still a lot of positives to focus on with a spring break spent in Grand Forks, which, for many, is also home.

The weather right now is wonderful — probably some of the nicest weather we’ve seen in a while for this time of year. Although the Midwest has been known to play evil tricks on people this time of year, it seems as though the nice weather might last until at least the beginning of next week. Just remember this time last year it still seemed very much like the deep of winter.

No matter how you look at it, it’s still a week away from school. Tired of school? Give yourself a week off without having to think about classes at all. Stressed out over tests and assignments? Take the opportunity to get ahead and work at a leisurely pace while making sure you get some much needed down time. Strapped for cash? Use the week to get some extra hours at work without having to simultaneously worry about the stress of classes and school.

A factor that should definitely be taken into consideration is the money it costs to go on spring break. Although sometimes there is nothing better than going on vacation and blowing a good chunk of change without worrying about it, unfortunately the bill follows you home.

A well-planned week long spring break vacation can cost around $1,000 when you add up all of the expenses. While this may seem like a lot of money, it is even more when you factor in the opportunity cost of going on spring break. During a week without school, you could make up to $400 working at an average restaurant job. That adds up to $1,400 that you won’t have at the end of a break that will be over before you know it.

Whether you have the best week of your life planned, or you have absolutely no plans whatsoever, spring break should be an enjoyable time for you. It is the much needed break we are fortunate enough to get before the home stretch of school leads into what we’re all really looking forward to — summer.

Larry Philbin is the news editor for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].