Up for discussion: Expectations for spring break

Spring break is just around the corner — the perfect opportunity to catch up on quality family time with your student. Or is it? Parents’ expectations may vary from what their student has in mind. The trick is finding a plan that pleases everyone.

Taking the time to listen to your student’s desires for the break and discussing what you want as a parent is more likely to result in finding a happy medium for everyone, said Emil Rodolfa, director of Counseling and Psychological Services.

“Parents are likely to get more buy-in if they are able to come to some collaborative compromise rather than just telling their student what to do,” Rodolfa said.

Unwinding

Most students are simply looking for ways to unwind from the grind of school and want to hang out with friends. For Sean Truong, a third-year chemistry major from Milpitas, much of that down time happens late at night and into the wee hours of the morning. It’s not unusual for him to sleep until 3 p.m. while he’s on break — for which he commonly gets grief from his parents.

“It’s not too much of a big deal,” Truong said. “If they get too upset, then I make a point of going with them to my aunt’s house for dinner or something. Mainly I just want to take it easy ‘cause school is stressful.”

Making money

Aaron Long would love to be able to head home to Los Angeles over the break, but he will be working a 40-hour week in his position as marketing coordinator for Campus Events and Visitor Services. A second-year sociology major, Long said his mom understands the economic necessity of him staying in town to work. His only break may be a short trip into San Francisco with friends the weekend before spring break.

“I do miss my mom and the rest of my family,” Long said. “I call her every week, but she knew when I moved up here that this was the situation,” he added.

Tough economic times do seem to be a consideration in whether students travel for spring break this year. Sergio Blanco, a third-year political science student from Danville, is hoping to find work for the week — odd construction jobs with friends of the family or anything, really. He’ll also hit the books to get ahead of the game for his first week back.

Connecting with family and friends

Melody Eldridge, a second-year student in civil engineering from Cambria, originally planned to spend her spring break camping with some friends. That is until her mom phoned her about plans to spend the week on Catalina Island, kayaking and hiking, then sleeping in a comfy hotel. Her mom wanted to bring the family together to celebrate after her last round of chemotherapy.

“It wasn’t a huge sacrifice to give up the camping,” Eldridge said. “We’re going to have a great time, and this was really important to my mom.”

Simple plans are the best for Rebecca Knapp, a high school friend of Eldridge’s from Cambria, who is in her second year of study in wildlife fisheries and conservation biology. She hopes to pick up a few work shifts at Hearst San Simeon State Park. Otherwise she just looks forward to smelling the ocean again and recharging her batteries with walks along the beach with her mom and their dog.

“I miss the ocean so much,” Knapp said. “A week off gives me a chance to breathe the salty air, and just relax and reconnect with family and friends.”