Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students had their week-long spring break, starting on Friday, March 18 and ending on Monday, March 28. While on break, students found ways to be productive from their time away from school, such as continuing their education or keeping themselves active.

Although spring break was a time for students to take a break from school, studying for the SAT or ACT was one of the main priorities for underclassmen. Many students used private tutoring, practice exams, and/or mock tests from SAT and ACT books to practice their skills.

“The whole spring break I was preparing myself for the SAT,” junior Mya Ryan said. “It was a good period of time to focus on the test since there was no school or work I had to do. I mostly prepared myself by doing practice tests with my tutor or using practice books.”

Preparing for standardized tests wasn’t the only way students kept themselves educated during break; reading was another way students kept themselves entertained.

“Throughout the break, I read a lot of books about feminism and politics,” senior Marlo Perkins said. “My friends and I made a commitment to start educating ourselves within these two topics and how they affect us. It was very nice and peaceful just reading the whole break. I felt like I was relaxing while I was still keeping my mind productive.”

Other than keeping themselves mentally stimulated during the break, students kept themselves physically active as well. Working out multiple times throughout the break was a commitment some students wanted to maintain.

“I knew when spring break was going to begin I wanted myself to be active,” senior Eric Harris said. “During the break, I went to the gym multiple times throughout the week or I would go on bike rides with my friends. It felt good keeping my body active and not just sitting around and doing nothing all break.”

Going to the beach was another option for students to keep themselves active. Students had the opportunity to swim and play both land and water sports on the beach, allowing themselves to stay active while having fun with friends.

“The beach was an absolute hotspot for my friends and I during spring break,” senior Trinity Paelez said. “We played so much volleyball and surfed when the waves were good enough. Being active by doing that was so much fun, it didn’t feel like a chore like normal workouts do.”

Many students kept themselves productive during spring break by educating themselves and being active. This helped prevent students from not using their time effectively away from school. Now being back at school students are able to easily get back into the groove of things due to their productivity over spring break.