Spring break is the perfect time for letting your hair down and leaving the stresses of college life behind you. However, that doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind. The following tips will help you have fun and stay safe during spring break.

1. Look Out for Your Buddies

Spring break is always more fun with friends. Before you let your hair down, pledge to look out for your buddies.

Always travel in groups of two or more. Arrive together and leave together. While a fling might sound fun, going home with strangers is risky. You don’t need to be joined at the hip, but you should know where your friends are at all times. Pay attention to the hotties they talk to and how much they’re drinking. If you think they’re being unsafe, step in to protect them. You might even take turns avoiding the booze so someone always has a clear head.

2. Practice Situational Awareness

Stay alert and aware of your surroundings and situations. That doesn’t mean you can’t relax and have fun, but you should recognize if anything feels off or amiss. Your gut instinct is a valuable gauge of how safe you really are. Listen to any uneasy feelings and act on them before you get into trouble.

Party in well-lit, busy places rather than darker ones with fewer people. When you’re using cabs and ride-sharing services, use the GPS to make sure your driver takes the route you’d expect. Double-check the license plate and driver photo match up when you’re using ride-sharing providers. This extra vigilance can help you avoid a sticky situation.

3. Watch Your Drinks

Studies suggest more than 2.2 million of the 6.31 million full-time college and university students enrolled in the United States will have their drinks spiked. Drink spiking can affect men too. Simply watching your drinks can dramatically reduce your risk of becoming a victim.

Stay alert from the moment your drink is made. Choose sealed cans or bottles at parties rather than drinks from a punch bowl. At bars, get the drink yourself and watch the bartender make it. Keep an eye on your drink until it’s finished. Leaving it to go to the bathroom or even turning your back on it while you chat could give someone the opportunity they need.

4. Keep Valuables Safe

Few things spoil a spring break like losing valuable items. Some simple tricks can keep them safe though. Don’t pack very valuable items like high-end jewelry or bags. They can make you a target for thieves, so why take the risk? Store any essential valuables in your hotel safe before going out. Keep credit cards in an RFID wallet so crims can’t scan them and steal the details. Bra pouches and money belts worn underneath clothes are ideal for storing cash, identification, and hotel keys securely.

Spring break can be dangerous if you don’t exercise caution. That doesn’t mean giving up on fun though. With these tips in mind, you’ll have a blast and stay safe on your spring break.

The life of a college student moves at a frantic pace. Between attending lectures, studying hard, and working a part-time job so you’re not living on ramen, there never seems to be enough time for your passions. However, you shouldn’t give up on the activities that make your heart full. These smart strategies will help you find time for your passions without letting your responsibilities slide.

Analyze How You Use Your Time

Think critically about the ways you spend your time. What are you doing because you need to and what are you doing simply because you feel you should? Are you wasting any time? Some things are nonnegotiable, like attending class and studying. However, you probably do many things because you feel obligated or aren’t really thinking about them.

Whether it’s attending keggers to keep friends company or mindlessly thumbing through social media, there may be activities you can reduce or eliminate altogether. Don’t be afraid to say no. Making time for the things that really matter to you will make you much happier than people pleasing.

Prioritize Your Passion

Scheduling makes sure you never miss a lecture, a shift at work, or a group study session with friends. One of the key reasons you’re not spending time pursuing your passions is because they haven’t made your schedule. Allocate time to indulge in the things that really interest you, and take that appointment as seriously as you would any other. You wouldn’t bail on your professor or boss, so don’t bail on yourself.

Perhaps you want to take a yoga class or start surfing. Stop procrastinating and do it now! Join a local group and make sure that you’re free the times they meet. Perhaps your passion is something more solitary like reading, drawing, or hiking. While these passions don’t have organized groups, you can schedule time for them, too. Take the time you make for your passions seriously. Lock the door, switch off your phone, and focus on what makes you happy. If you share a dorm, indulge your passion in a park or somewhere else you won’t be disturbed.

Choose a Job That Reflects Your Passion

Many college students wait tables or tend bar to make ends meet. While these jobs may be the most plentiful, they’re not your only options. Consider whether you can use your passion to make money instead.

If you love acting, audition for parts in commercials or TV shows. If you love dancing or playing an instrument, see whether you could make some extra money teaching children. If you love cooking or creating arts and crafts, try selling your products at local markets. The job you take doesn’t need to be your career. It can simply be a fun way to make money right now.

Finding time for your passions helps you keep stress at bay and avoid burnout while you’re studying. Making that time can be tricky, but with these smart strategies, you can juggle the things you love and your responsibilities during your college years.

Landing the perfect summer internship can be done with the right preparation and work. Don’t wait until the end of the semester when you’re wrapped up in finals to start the process of looking and applying for internships — make sure to get started early.

Use Strategic Networking

There are tons of online resources out there for potential interns, but you can broaden your networking horizons and do things the old-fashioned way. Think about who you know and what their connections might be. Don’t be afraid to ask friends and family about their knowledge of potential internship opportunities. You can do this by word-of-mouth or by using social media connections to your advantage.

The available online internship resources include several websites dedicated to matching high school and college students with their perfect summer jobs. Check out sites like YouTern or Internships.com where you can browse opportunities in various geographical areas and areas of interest.

Make a Plan

Don’t start the process of finding a summer internship without some kind of game plan. You want to make sure you know what you want before you start looking or things could get overwhelming very quickly. Make a list of companies and fields of research you’re interested in and the materials you’ll need to have ready to apply and interview.

See What’s Out There

You may have a few companies in mind that you’d like to work for, but you’ll want to make sure to do good research so that you know what they’re looking for in their interns. First of all, you might find your ideal company, but the specific types of internships they’re offering might not fit what you want at all. Second, if you do find an internship that interests you, you’ll do much better during the interview process if you know what they want.

College students have plenty of resources when it comes to finding the right internships. Start out by heading to your campus career center. Most colleges and universities have these centers where local businesses can put out the call for skilled interns. Many career centers will also offer students a time to sit down with an advisor and work on building a resume and figuring out these beginning stages of their career paths.

Prepare to Apply and Interview

As you’re preparing to apply and interview for internships, you’ll want to make sure you have a well-formed resume and a basic cover letter template that can be adjusted for different companies. Your resume can also be changed to highlight your particular skills suited for different opportunities, so make sure you’re paying attention to the details of each option.

Make a list of everything you’ll need to apply for a job and then to interview. You’ll want to include important items like a resume, cover letter, references, portfolio (especially if applying for a creative position), and a power outfit that will make you look more professional at the interview. Coming to an interview prepared and looking professional is an easy way to set yourself apart from the competition.

The right summer internship can not only give you a great summer break, but it can also start your future off on the right track. Follow these tips to land a great opportunity.