March 7 may have little significance to adults, but students everywhere — myself included — are counting down the days. It marks the beginning of a one-week reprieve from alarm clocks, essays and school. A time of relaxation and sleeping in. Yes, that’s right: March break is almost here.

So how are students planning on spending their time off? A full 10 days are ours for the taking. That is equal to 240 hours, or 14,400 minutes or, if we’re going to get really particular, 864,000 seconds. In short, it’s a lot of time. The question was: what are students going to do with it all?

“I’m doing my driver’s (education) for four days during the break,” said Kailyn M., a Grade 11 BMLSS student. “I’ll be working the rest of the time, I guess.”

Karlee H., also a Grade 11 student at BMLSS, will be spending most of her time with a close friend who moved away last summer. “I can’t wait to see her again,” she told me.

Luke G., another student, was originally planning on going away for the break, but he told me that travel “would get in the way of sleeping” and that rest was the preferred option.

“I might be (visiting) my grandparents for the first part,” said Thalia S., another Grade 11 from BMLSS. “Then I’m heading to London to a friend’s house with a bunch of friends from camp.”

Kristen V. told me that she’s just “planning on resting” during the break.

I for one am planning on escaping this wintry wonderland in favour of something a little warmer. A flight to Costa Rica is leaving Toronto on March 4 (yes, I’m leaving a little early), and I plan to be on it. Like last year’s trip to Vimy Ridge, it is arranged by the school and will be chaperoned by teachers from BMLSS. Nine jam-packed, yet blissful days will be spent zip-lining, horseback riding, kayaking and, of course, soaking up the sun.

As different as our plans are, we’re all looking forward to the break. And if we can only make it though the next few days, freedom will be ours. We will be free to seize the day, or sleep through its entirety. The choice is ours. Until we go back to school, anyway.