Thursday, March 24, 2005 10:47 AM CST
Your Chat Room guide to SPRING BREAK Aftermath
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
There seem to be a gazillion guides to help college students prepare for spring break. But what about afterward?
"The things students seem to be worried about fall into several categories, and a lot of it depends on their behavior (during spring break)," said Eric S. Davidson, associate director of Health Service at Eastern Illinois University.
EIU students returned to Charleston on Monday, while Lake Land College in Mattoon and Millikin University in Decatur are on spring break this week.
And for those students who did not follow the advice in those plentiful preparation manuals, Chat Room offers these tips for recovering from spring break:
Sleep deprivation
Sleep is about as common at a typical spring break locale as a college student without a cell phone.
And if one does catch some ZZZs during vacation, chances are it won't be a quality sleep, said Davidson. That's why it's important to try to catch up on sleep afterward, especially if spring break involved alcohol.
"That excessive drinking disrupts sleep patterns," said Davidson. "They're going to need to take some extra rests, get some extra sleep."
Sleep deprivation is also a factor in the "spring fever" that can succeed spring break, Davidson said.
Those suffering from this particular lack of focus should really prioritize their work, he said.
"Do a little each day, don't wait until the last minute," said Davidson.
Debt
The average college student graduates with several thousand dollars' worth of credit card debt, and some of that is racked up during spring break.
Stephanie Ogle of the EIU Financial Health Resource Center gives some simple tips to spring breakers now looking to save a buck, and maybe avoid explaining that credit card bill to their parents.
She advises students to get digital photo reprints from either one-hour developers or from the Internet, which are much cheaper than immediate reproduction options.
Use that tan you got over break — don't go back to the tanning bed right away.
Dine in rather than eat out. "It's a great time to practice your cooking skills," said Ogle. "Macaroni and cheese is not expensive."
Walk, don't drive, if at all possible. "Saving on gas is huge," said Ogle.
Tattoos or body piercings
What better time than spring break to get the tattoo or nose ring that's guaranteed to send Mom and Dad into hysterics?
However, an impulsive body decoration requires care even after the vacation ends, said Davidson.
"Really follow the instructions that those body artists provided," he said.
If those directions were lost, or never given in the first place, Davidson advised that tattoos take two to three weeks to heal, and they should be kept moisturized.
Oh, don't pick at it, or it will never heal.
For piercings, these also need to be kept clean, and the jewelry should be rotated during cleanings, said Davidson.
The newly-pierced should also be watchful for infections, he said.
Sunburn
Students who hit the beach or the ski slopes may have found that their golden tans have turned to crisp red burns.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause skin damage regardless of the season or temperature.
Davidson recommends those who get too much sun over spring break to drink lots of water, and use ointments containing aloe vera.
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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