If there is one adventure students need to embark upon before graduating, it’s a spring break.

No experience in a young person’s life quite measures up to what a spring break vacation has to offer. Luckily for us here at UK, the chance to go on this adventure is less than a week away, and the opportunities are limitless. For those of you who prefer sandy beaches and the spray of the ocean, take a group of friends to Florida.

If you’re more of the cabin in the woods type, Gatlinburg, Tenn. is just a short three-hour drive away.

Wherever you go, it’s likely you will run into other college students also pursuing the time of their lives.

Back in 2012, I went to Panama City Beach with a group of my hometown friends. During the trip, we rode jet skis, hopped around the local clubs, saw a friend jump from the hotel balcony and even made friends with former LSU football player Demetrius Byrd.

This year I’m going to Orlando with a small group of my fraternity brothers, and I’m sure when I come back I will have a whole new batch of stories to tell. Aside from the chance to meet new and interesting faces, it also provides college students with a sense of independence.

For many students, going on a spring break trip in college is their first time vacationing without parents or adult supervision.

This gives them the chance to learn more about themselves, as they will have to make adult decisions the entire time. Some students at UK will be unable to travel out of town for spring break, and if that’s the case, there are still options.

A trip to a local lake, checking out to a hotel room and a camping trip in places like to the Kentucky Horse Park campground are still great options. For the UK students who are going on vacation with a group of friends, here is something to keep in mind: Do not fall victim to the Hollywood idealization of what a spring break trip should be like.

Films like “Spring Breakers” can give people romanticized and unrealistic ideas of what a spring break trip should be like. The measure of your experience isn’t how much damage you do to a hotel room, how many alcoholic beverages you consume or how many games of beach football you win. At the end of the day, what really matters is being with friends and having a good time.

Spring break is also about maintaining one’s sanity. As college students, most of us are constantly under pressure to complete assignments and fulfill obligations. This week of leisure gives us the chance to put our worries on the back burner and improvise our daily schedules.

A wise man once said that “you only live once.” Those words have become incredibly cliche and somewhat irritating, but for this single week, they should be taken to heart. There are only so many chances to live out this experience, so don’t miss out.