If there is one thing I’ve learned so far throughout my three years of college, it is that Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend” is not only an absolute jam, but that it’s lyrics speak volumes.
Sure, the song is about going out, having fun, and finding love—which may or may not be your cup of tea—but one thing we can all agree on is that the weekend marks a 48-hour window of sweet, sweet freedom.
Each morning the deafening sound of the alarm clock blares through our rooms and after hitting the snooze button one too many times, we manage to drag ourselves out of our Tempurpedic cocoons and face the day ahead of us.
Maybe I’m biased since I am a student, but I give us a whole lot of credit; we’ve got to balance school, work, clubs, a social life and whatever else is going on in our lives and repeat the process day after day.
That is until weekend rolls around and all bets are off as soon as the clock strikes 4:10 p.m. on Thursday afternoons. (Do yourself a favor, avoid Friday classes whenever possible, hello three-day weekend!) Since I know that I will be, “working for the weekend” for years to come, I’ve made a personal vow with myself to truly squeeze out every last ounce of fun and make the most of what little freedom I have.
For me, that has meant hopping in my car straight after class on Thursdays and driving 5 hours to Vermont to ski. This has been my routine each week since the beginning of the semester and I can attest that I have, indeed, enjoyed myself and have created something to look forward to whenever I find myself drowning in homework and priorities.
Sure, my “routine” is hectic; I get on the road by 4:15 p. m. on Thursday, drive straight to Londonderry, VT and arrive by 9:15 p. m. on the dot. I ski all of Friday, and until 4 pm on Saturday, hop in my car, trek back to NJ, then go to work all day Sunday and before I know it, it’s Monday again!
By no means am I saying that you have to follow in my footsteps and take a weekly road trip, but I definitely recommend planning little excursions with yourself or your friends because it creates an element of excitement for the upcoming weekend.
It can act as inspiration to power through the stack of worksheets, readings and all the other priorities you’ve been putting off for so long. (No shame, we’ve all been there.)
Monmouth is situated in a prime location and there is no shortage of weekend activities to partake in both on and off campus! If skiing and snowboarding are your thing, there’s plenty of mountains within a three-hour radius, and an abundance of hiking trails in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania once the temperatures begin to rise.
Heading to the beach is also a no-brainer since we are less than one-mile from the ocean. If you are into the Metropolitan scene, both New York City and Philadelphia are only an hour away, or better yet, Asbury Park is just minutes from campus!
However you choose to spend your weekends, just remember to make the most of them, because Monday will be here sooner than you think.
