When college students hear about Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they don’t immediately think of the revolutionary contributions King made during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s. They think about the three-day weekend given so early in the semester. Unfortunately, extra party time is difficult for many students who emptied their pockets during Winter Break. Now that students will have so much extra time on their hands this weekend, here is a list of suggestions for what to do that won’t cause a person to spend the last of their holiday money.

1. Sleep in.

It is safe to assume that no one gets enough sleep during the week. Everyone is balancing classes, jobs and extracurricular activities, not to mention, college students simply make bad sleeping decisions. Take the extra 24 hours to close the blinds, turn on the space heater and catch up on some shut-eye. The opportunity probably will not arise again until May.

2. Thrift shop at Goodwill

If shopping on a three-day weekend sounds like a good idea, but there is an almost-empty wallet to keep in mind, just pick a few things up at Goodwill. The new Muncie Goodwill is bigger and better and has clothes, shoes, furniture and even pointless trinkets galore. A new chair for the living room under $10 will equal a wonderful weekend.

3. Catch up on your favorite show

In college, it is almost impossible to keep up on beloved half-hour comedies and one-hour dramas. Staying away from spoiler conversations about said shows is even more difficult.  Take some time this weekend to visit hulu.com or iTunes and sit back, relax and enjoy 24 hours of small-screen entertainment.

4. Learn how to mat and frame for free

Gallery 308 in downtown Muncie offers free matting and framing workshops on Saturday mornings. Think of all the lonely pictures that can now be framed hands-on after taking the workshop. It’s a three-day weekend in and of itself: Students can go to the workshop on Saturday, practice on Sunday and frame like crazy on Monday. Grandmothers everywhere will be proud.

5. Get to know your roommate better

During the week, everyone is always on the go. Roommates may pass each other in the hallway on the way to bed, but that’s usually it. This leaves little time for household bonding.  This extra weekend space can be used as a way to have a little one-on-one with that roommate who has become a stranger. If you don’t like your roommate, than use this opportunity to ask them to move out.

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Lindsay Spoonmore | 72hrs Manager