by Jane Ward

Created on: January 28, 2009

Everyone wants to have fun on Spring Break. By the time it rolls around, you've spent the last few months (in theory at least) cooped up in your dorm room studying hard Not only do most students need a break from their studies, Spring Break can be invaluable for the cabin fever epidemics that catch hold particularly of smaller campuses in cold weather. I mean, how many days in a row can you and your room mate stare at each other across computer screens and debate whether to face the bitter trek to the cafeteria or just order Chinese?

Enter Spring Break: eighty degree temperatures, beer, all-night parties on the beach, fruity drinks, corn rows, beer, clubbing, beer, and lots of and lots of hooking up with people you'll never see again.

Or not.

The frat-party lifestyle and all its consequences ranging from embarrassing to downright dangerous is not for everyone. There are many of us whose idea of a good time is somewhat, shall we say calmer. And then of course, there are those of us who simply don't have money necessary for a plane ticket, hotel room, and everything else that the traditional spring break entails.

In February of my senior year, my friend Skylar became determined to spend Spring Break neither in the small town she'd grown up in, nor at the practically empty college campus. She devised the ingenious plan of going camping, and to this day it stands out as one of the best vacations of my life.

If you are lucky enough to attend college in a place that has warmed up considerably enough for outdoor sleeping by the end of March, your first step is to gather a group of close friends who aren't squeamish about the inconveniences of a few days in the outdoors. This may go without saying, but make sure all parties involved get along with each other, and don't have a tendency to get catty. One bad apple can easily ruin the fun for everybody involved.Once this is established, all you need to do is a simple Google search for camp grounds. Once you find one you like, make a phone call and verify the following information:

~Price per campsite AND whethere there is a maximum number of people. Campsites are generally not more than fifty dollars and sleep around six. With some quick math, it's obvious how much of a money saver camping can be

~Availability of parking and whethere there is an extra charge. If at all possible, choose a place that will let you park your car directly on site

~Proximity to other campsites. There's no bigger buzzkill than having the neighbors get

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