With the long weekend coming up, I’m sure you all have very ambitious plans for how to use your time. By that, I mean that everyone is planning on catching up on much-needed sleep and going to Airband practices, and that’s about it. While all of those things are great, I’m here to say something somewhat controversial: do something more with your time. In case that task seems daunting, read on for some ideas for activities to do this weekend.

1. Go to an art museum. I know that a lot of people are stressed with Calc or AP Chem or some other insanely hard class, so I think everyone should take some time to appreciate the little things in life. Taking the opportunity to take your mind off of life’s stressors by looking at something beautiful is one of the best ways to balance out academic stress. If you don’t know which museums to go to, look no further. Everyone knows about the Art Institute of Chicago, which has some of the best art in the world, so you can’t beat that. They even have a student rate. If you aren’t looking to go that far, Elmhurst has its very own museum of modern art that’s also worth checking out.
2. I’m a little reluctant to share this next location because it’s one of Naperville’s best hidden gems. If you’re into music, there’s a local record store called Purple Dog Records. It’s this tiny little room right by the train station packed with bins upon bins of secondhand records. They always have a record on and it’s one of my favorite ways to decompress and lose myself in the music. You definitely have to do some digging, but you can always come up with gold.
3. Pretty basic, but there’s always the fallback option of grabbing coffee. Personally, I like to bring a friend with me or bring a good book if no one is free. I feel like I always get so wrapped up in school and sports that I never get to see any of my friends, and this is a great way to fuel my caffeine addiction and catch up with some of my favorite people. If you’re not feeling social interaction though, a book is always good company and reading in a coffee shop always puts me in a good mood. Another pro tip: if you bring your own cup, Starbucks gives you a 10 cent discount. It’s a win for your wallet and the environment all in one.
4. Looking at the weather this weekend, it’s supposed to be so nice! I’ve definitely felt a little down recently because of all of the gloomy and cold weather, but it looks like the sun may be out finally. Maybe instead of spending the whole weekend in your bed or in a dark basement, try to catch some vitamin D. I love taking my dog out on runs with me or playing pickup sports games with friends, anything to get me in the sun. It doesn’t really matter what you do, just take advantage of the first real spring weekend we’ve had while you have the chance to really enjoy it.
5. Slightly contradictory to the last point, my last recommendation is to have a good old-fashioned movie marathon. After hanging outside all day, one of the best feelings is to curl up on the couch with a big blanket and a bowl of popcorn to watch a movie. Invite some people over, have everyone bring snacks (popcorn and Oreos are a necessity) and watch movies to your heart’s content. Some of my favorite movies to watch are 80s rom-coms like Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, and Can’t Buy Me Love. 

As senior year is coming to a close, it’s definitely been one of my goals to really enjoy the time I have left here. Not to make it sappy, but these are some of the last times where we are all going to be together with our best friends and able to make memories before we all go our separate ways. Instead of being sad though, make the most of it! Let me know some of your favorite ways to spend your time on a long weekend in the comments.