This past Veteran’s Day , I traveled to Saint George, Utah, to see my younger brother perform in a national marching band competition. I knew this trip was coming, but I didn’t realize how quickly the school year would go by. This past week I felt as if I was scrambling to prepare myself for the trip. As students we have a habit of biting off more than we can chew, and that can cause stress on vacation and get in the way of spending quality time with your family. I was determined not to let that happen. The first thing I did to prepare for this trip was to compile a list of homework I needed to get done and prioritize assignments. My main focus was working on my Honors 101 summary of argument essay. After that, I planned to work on scholarships, read for University Studies and practice. I told my family that I wanted an hour each day to work with no distractions. I also planned to use any free time to study. . 

As a music major, it’s more difficult for me to bring my homework on the road. It is easy to bring a flute on a plane, but when you spend your whole day hanging out with your family, it’s hard to make time to practice. When I am on the road, I bring the pieces that I am working on, find a good quality recording on YouTube, and then air and finger along with the video on a pencil. I don’t work on improving my skills or increasing tempos, I focus on keeping the music in my fingers. This allowed me to show my family some of the repertoire that I get to play this quarter.

For non-performance majors, I suggest taking your notes and reading through them when you have free time. This time is not about gaining knowledge, it is about retaining knowledge. 

I also suggest that you create a buffer time when you get back to get yourself reorganized – even if it’s just a few hours to recheck assignments and finish up any loose odds or ends. 

By sticking to this plan, I was able to enjoy the time with my family.  NowI am back at school, and I do not feel like I have fallen behind.I hope my experience can help you learn how to balance homework with vacation time.