By Jessica Tholmer

We are quickly approaching spring break, arguably the best time of the year. If you are planning a trip this year, there are some hot spots you can’t miss if you want to have the perfect vacation. Though Cabo is always a good time and Padre is pretty predictable, this year we’ve found even more interesting places to consider for your escape from campus.

Here are some of the hottest spring break destinations for you and your pals.

Dominican Republic

Gorgeous views, warm weather, perfect beaches — isn’t this what spring break is all about? The nightlife in the DR is always memorable as well! You’re only about 80 miles east of Puerto Rico and have access to several (money saving) all-inclusive resort options.

Las Vegas, Nevada

The Strip may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think “spring break,” but why shouldn’t it be? Las Vegas is always a good time, and it is a very accommodating city for big groups of people. Again, you can make it a pretty affordable stop. Not to mention, the weather in Vegas is always optimal.

How to Stay Safe on Spring Break

Miami, Florida

The gorgeous beaches, warm South Florida sunshine, and awesome nightclubs will make your spring break well worth the wait. Plus, the Latin food, tasty cocktails, and supreme shopping make it memorable, too. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jessica Tholmer

Thank goodness spring is almost here! More importantly, TGISB… thank God it’s (almost) spring break! Sure, the best part of spring break is the sunshine and revelry far from the strenuous day to day of college life. But to us, reading books is the best part, especially the kind that are not assigned to you.

If you plan to catch up on some leisure reading while you’re spring breaking, here are some great reads that will keep you entertained while you lay on the beach.

The Mortdecai Trilogy

If the name “Mortdecai” sounds familiar, it is because Johnny Depp recently released a movie based on the novel. Though the movie flopped, the Mortdecai Trilogy has everything a spring breaker needs: romance and mystery.

Where Rainbows End

The novel written by Cecelia Ahern, author of PS, I Love You, is the perfect spring read. Follow the tale of best friends Alex and Rosie as they maintain the balance between romance and love when Alex moves from Ireland to the US. Maybe that’s the inspiration you need to plan your spring break trip!

Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances

Crowd favorite Neil Gaiman’s newest novel is perfect for a week-long vacation. Trigger Warning features stories, poems, and even a Doctor Who episode. What else could you need you? Read the rest of this entry »

The stress of finals has probably made you want to pull out your hair, but now that’s all over and you’re ready to unwind. If a road trip is on your mind, you’re likely looking for ways to cut costs for the trip.

Road trips are an awesome way to avoid pricey airfare. Read these tips on how to save even more money on your getaway.

Take the most fuel efficient car: Spend a week tracking gas mileage to see who truly has the best car to take on a trip. Then, make sure the car is up-to-date on its oil change. You may think that taking an SUV will make for a comfortable ride, but with gas prices often nearing $5 a gallon, you could be saving tons of cash by taking a smaller vehicle.

Plan to stay with relatives along the way: Staying with aunts and uncles makes for a good (and free) bed and breakfast. Call your family members and ask them if it would be OK for you and your buds to spend the night. Get a free, home-cooked dinner and make it a small family reunion. Read the rest of this entry »

Seventy years ago today, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the USA naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged and four sank; many other ships were sank or destroyed. In total, 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 were injured.

Now, 10 students from the College of the Ozarks are getting an up close and personal look into this event as they travel to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan, and Hiroshima, Japan, with five World War II veterans. Two of the veterans were stationed in Pearl Harbor when the attack took place.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to escort them to Pearl Harbor and to Japan, said Ciera Carson, one of the students who is on the trip. “I am going to document their stories and pass their stories to children I will teach some day.”

Another student, Bryan Cizek, is also excited to share this experience with the veterans.

“I am interested in history,” he said. “I want to see it through the yes of people who were there. I want to talk to the veterans and know what it was actually like, and how they dealt with things. I’m glad we all went with LiveYourAloha Tours when in Hawaii, because these tours completely brought forth the essence of the place.”

Guy Piper is one of the veterans who is also going on the trip. He was on Ford Island when the attacks took  place and saw the Japanese bombed drop torpedoes on the USS Oklahoma.

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This is the first post in EDUinReview’s new series, The College Budget Traveler. This series will help students who want to travel to different cities learn how to do so, while still remaining within their college-kid budget. Currently, I am living in Sevilla, Spain, and that’s where this post is about visiting.

Sevilla is in the south of Spain and is the fourth largest city in Spain. As such, it has many historical and cultural offerings, as well as a happening night life. In other words, it is a great destination for anyone to study abroad or visit while they are in Spain.

So, how can you visit the city where Christopher Columbus told the Spanish King and Queen that he found America while still staying within a budget? Here are some tips for the best places for students to stay, eat, and visit in Sevilla, Spain.

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Studying abroad is one of the best things you can do during college, in my opinion. I studied abroad twice in two different countries and learned a lot more than just the subjects that I studied during my class hours. Studying abroad is a great way to learn a new language or learn another culture and way of life. You can take classes that relate to your major, or you can study something that is completely unrelated to your major. Either way, you are going to learn lessons about yourself and how you relate to other people that I feel are impossible to do while living in your own country.

So, studying abroad is fantastic. It makes you a better person. It’s a life changing opportunity and everyone should take advantage of it during college. Great. But it can also be very expensive, especially if you don’t know some of the tricks to the trade. Luckily for you, I happen to be a pro at this (or at least that’s what I tell myself) and I’m willing to share some tips for studying abroad in some of the hottest study abroad locations in the world.

EDUinReview will be releasing a series of posts this school year that will focus on traveling and living abroad in some of the best locations in the world. This series will provide you with valuable information about living in a foreign country, such as which tourists attractions are really worth your time and money, which restaurants to eat at and which ones to avoid like the plague, and how to really experience the culture of the place you are living in. If you have already decided on a place to study abroad at, these posts will help prepare you for the great adventure you are about to embark on. If you haven’t decided, they can serve as a great resource for you. Either way, it’s going to be a great way to learn how to really study abroad without spending your entire life-savings. Who can say no to that, right?

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If you are like me, one of the worst parts of being a college student is not having enough disposable income to do all of the things that you want to do. For me, the one thing I want to do above all others is travel. However, traveling can be very expensive… unless you know how to do it.

I am currently living in Spain for a year, and while I am here, I plan on visiting many cities while also staying on a limited budget. There are various tricks to the trade that you can use while traveling to help yourself stay within your budget. This post will tell you some of these tricks, while the following posts will focus on specific cities and tips for visiting these cities in particular.

1. Ditch the four-star hotels. When you are traveling, you really aren’t spending too much time in your hotel. So why should you spend a lot of money on it? Obviously, you want to be safe and feel secure where you are staying. However, you can feel safe in a hostel, which will cost much less than a hotel. HostelWorld.com is a respectable website that I have used several times to find lodgings while traveling. If the idea of sleeping in a bunk bed in a room full of other people freaks you out, you can find a hostel that offers private rooms. Most private rooms cost about $20-$30 per night, which is much cheaper than an expensive hotel room will cost.

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Those four years fly by fast, and college is a time in your life where you’ll have the least responsibility with the most independence. The best way to utilize that time is to have as much fun as possible. Additionally, you should learn as much as you can both inside and outside of the classroom. Take an actual interest in your classes, try new things and meet new people.

Here are six things you must do before you graduate:

Take a random class: Sure, yoga and ceramics may not get you any closer to graduation day, but if it is a class that sounds like lots of fun, then go for it. Even if you’ve gained all of your elective credits, any class that looks like it could relieve your stress and expand your mind will only benefit you.

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The earthquake in Japan and the protests-turned-revolution in Egypt are reminders of events that can affect students while studying abroad. Yet incidents like these should not deter students from going abroad. In fact, the evacuation of American students from Egypt highlights how well prepared study abroad programs really are for such contingencies.

Like domestic universities, all study abroad programs have protocols in place in case of an emergency, but there are also ways in which students also play a role in their own security. “Orientations always start with safety,” says Prema Samuel, the director of international programs at Sarah Lawrence College. Students should be aware of their emergency contacts and make sure that they provide their program directors with the relevant contact info for themselves. If students ever find themselves in a situation where they are unable to get in touch with program leaders, they can also turn to U.S. embassies. “It’s rare that a student is going to go to places where there isn’t an American consulate or an American Embassy,” says Samuel.

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Thanksgiving is upon us and so is one of the nation’s biggest travel seasons. We’ve compiled a list of  Thanksgiving and holiday-travel resources here on EDU to get you ready for some holiday fun!

Food and drinks are an integral part of celebrating this November, but they don’t have to wreck your diet if you’re informed on your choices.

Best and Worst Drink Choices at Holiday Parties

Best and Worst Pies to Indulge in This Holiday Season

Five Tips for Not Gaining Weight During the Holidays

Easy and Delicious Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes

Safely Celebrate the Night Before Thanksgiving

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