How to Make the Most of Your Extended

By: Sara Nookala, DiY/Guides Staff Writer

Extended is over. That is one of the saddest realizations an IMSA students can have on a Sunday afternoon or evening when they have to pack all their stuff and be delivered on a resident hall doorstep, trussed up like a turkey, back  to the vicious cycle of grades, extracurriculars, and competition. Some people seem to suffer from an after-extended hangover and walk around looking like they would give anything not to be back at school. When you ask these people what they did over extended, they tend to give a response that goes something like, “Ate, slept. Ate and slept again. Ate and slept some more.”

Of course, their actions are perfectly understandable. After all, isn’t the reason that we have extended so that we can rejuvenate ourselves a little? However, rejuvenating ourselves shouldn’t mean sinking into a pool of gluttony and laziness. Yes, we should spend extended relaxing, but we should also keep in mind that life at IMSA doesn’t wait for you to get your head back in the game. Extended should be used as a tool to revive our starved bodies and ravaged souls, restoring them enough so we can hit the ground running after break. Here are some ways you can make your extended count!

Sleep-wise: Don’t stay up. If you stay up until 1 am on Facebook during extended, you are out of your mind! You don’t get half the amount of rest and relaxation time that a normal teenager does. Don’t waste your opportunity to catch up! Also, don’t oversleep! Odd sleeping hours will make it harder to adjust once you get back to IMSA. It’s best to establish a normal sleeping schedule for the four to five nights of extended. Go to bed at a normal time, say, 10 or 11, and wake up at 9 the next morning. That gives you plenty of sleep, and easily adjustable times for when you come back to IMSA.

Food-wise: Honestly, watch what you are eating. Eat heartily, but make sure you are not putting too much junk food into your system. Since the food you get at IMSA isn’t always your choice, make sure you take advantage of the high-quality food at home.

School-wise: Get some work done over break; otherwise the following week will be a hell week. Although sometimes, you may not have much homework over extended, often, you may have recently covered a new unit in a class that could take a while to understand. If you do have a lot of homework over extended, keep calm. Set aside a time of the day when you wouldn’t really be doing much else anyway, like mid-morning or early-afternoon. Use these times to work, and spend the rest of the day however you like.

Family-wise: Spend time with your family. They are your emotional backbone even while you are at IMSA. They deserve to talk to you. Show your love and appreciation for their support. As one IMSA sophomore said, her extended was “…cozy, comfy, and fun because I got to spend time with my family.”

Friend-wise: It’s tempting to spend all your time with your home town friends over extended. However, it’s best not to do this. You do need some (a lot) of time alone. Perhaps setting aside a certain portion of each day for them, like the afternoon, or part of the evening would be best.

Hopefully, these tips will help you enjoy your extended, as well as be useful in preventing any after extended-related stress. One tired IMSA sophomore said, since over extended she “stayed up late, didn’t do anything, and didn’t even get to spend much time with family,” she was “screwed” for the following week. Don’t be that sophomore. Make the most of the wonderful breaks called extended, and be happy when you return to school.

[Image Credit: wallsave.com]