UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

First Year Student Blog

Making the Most of Winter Break

Two students walking in snow on campus

Holy cow! Your fall semester is over! Did it go by quicker than you thought it would, or did it feel like an eternity? No matter how you felt, it is done and you are on your way to a well-earned break from your studies.

After spending four months away at college, heading back home for an extended time can feel like you are in a different world. Winter break is a great time to reconnect with friends and family back home, pick up some work, or take a J-term class. Regardless of how you spend your break, things are going to be a little different for a while until classes pick up again in the spring. You might be thinking of what to do to make the most of your time away from campus and come back from break rested and ready for your second semester. Don’t worry. We’ve got you.

Winter Break Checklist
  • Spend time with family. While it probably feels daunting, fill them in on how your first semester at UWRF went! They will love to learn about what you’ve been up to at school. Know that while you likely have some other priorities while you are home, it is important to make a plan with your family to create shared expectations of how much time you will be spending with them versus others.
  • Hang out with your friends from your home town. Some may be loving this new chapter after high school, and some may be having a harder time with the transition. Know that things might feel a little strange at first now that you are all in different places, and that is okay. You can still connect over those shared experiences you have together, and sharing stories can be a lot of fun. Overcoming those changes together will make your friendships even stronger.
  • Maintain a healthy life style. This can be tremendously helpful to help maintain your health both physically and mentally, eating right and working out and even having a good night’s sleep are all great ways to help reduce stress.
  • Enjoy winter activities that help you relieve stress. These activities can vary from person to person but find something you enjoy, like reading a book for fun, going to the gym, cooking, playing video games, or even watching a movie. Spending time with friends and doing these activities together can also be extremely helpful!
  • Reflect on your fall semester. What would you like to do differently this semester? What things went well for you? What conversations should you have with your advisor?
  • Finally, take some time to simply breathe. It sounds obvious, but hear us out! Breathing is essential for recharging and lowering stress. When you’re stressed or are nervous, a great way to help that is to take deep breaths. Try breathing in and counting to six in your head, then breathing out over the span of six counts. Repeat this just a few times. This tells your brain to calm down and makes your body feel more relaxed.

The first semester of school is bound to challenge you in a number of ways—be sure to make the most of your break by finding some balance among the activities above. You’ve got this! We hope you have a great winter break and we look forward to seeing you at Winter of Welcome when you come back.