Spring break is upon us, which means a much-needed break from all things academic (excluding that paper or two you probably have to write) after working hard during midterm season. It’s a great time to relax, destress, and take time to focus on yourself and your wellbeing. For many people, spring break also means travelling and leaving campus to explore the world and go on some adventures. My spring break was pretty chill; I just went home and spent some time with my family, which was fantastic, but there were definitely some aspects of Swarthmore that I found myself missing while I was at home during break. These include…

• The atmosphere of studying and academics. I know that spring break is supposed to be a time where you are supposed to be relaxing and not thinking about school, but the reality is that you probably are going to have a couple of assignments over break. I find that when I’m on campus at Swarthmore, I am more motivated and more in the mindset to study and get my work done because in my mind, I know for me it is primarily a place to study. In addition, when everyone else is focused on their studies, I find that it’s hard NOT to study and try your best. I’m not saying that Swatties only study, because that is far from the truth, but we definitely take our academics seriously, and that is definitely reflected on the atmosphere on campus. At home, on the other hand… let’s just say that not much work has gotten done over the past week or so. 

• The convenience that is Sharples. Sure, Swatties may complain about Sharples now and then, but in all seriousness, Sharples is great. They provide many options, and it’s all already cooked for you, so you don’t really have to do anything except grab food and eat. At Sharples, I have scrambled eggs every day for breakfast; it’s become sort of a morning ritual for me. Coming home, I felt sad that there were no scrambled eggs waiting for me when I woke up! (It’s okay though because scrambled eggs aren’t hard to make. If I had formed my morning ritual around eating hash browns or something every morning, I might’ve had a problem…) This just shows how much we Swatties take Sharples (and our food options as a whole) for granted in our busy everyday lives.

• Always having something to do. You’re never bored on campus. Whether you’re doing assignments for a class, practicing for a sport, participating in an extracurricular, or hanging out with friends, there is always something to do at Swarthmore. Even if you personally have nothing planned into your schedule at a specific time, there are always events like study breaks (with lots of snacks), extra lectures by visiting professors, performances by various on-campus and off-campus groups, movie screenings, and so much more happening all over Swarthmore. Swatties lead busy lives, but this seems to fuel us even more.

• The beauty of our campus. I mean, look at it. How can you not be romantic about the amphitheater?

• The people. Duh. The people at Swarthmore are truly what make Swarthmore special. The friends you grab lunch with everyday, the friends in your favorite clubs, the friends you stay up until two in the morning talking to, your roommate and hallmates, the friends you always study in McCabe with: these are the things that I missed the most about Swarthmore during my spring break. You end up spending so much time with these amazing people on campus that a week away from them seems like an eternity. And although you may all be off having your own little adventures now during spring break, you know that you all can’t wait to go back to Swarthmore to be able to reconnect and spend some time together.