“Many people stay in St. Louis over spring break due to finances, on-campus activities, and work. Staying on campus can be lonely, but if you are kept busy it can be quite fun. The one downside of staying on campus during breaks is that most of the dining halls have very restricted hours. To combat this, go shopping before the break starts. I usually buy sandwich material and non-perishable items that are easy to cook without much equipment.” – Alex Rutherford, 2019
This section primarily deals with logistics of breaks. For tips on how to travel on a budget, see the “Travel” section of this guide.
- Fall Break
- Many students stay on campus for Fall Break— it’s a four day weekend and a nice time to relax on campus or explore St. Louis.
- See Travel Section for tips on vacationing elsewhere.
- Thanksgiving Break
- Most students go home for Thanksgiving, but if you stay, be sure to go to the annual Taylor STARS Thanksgiving dinner (more info sent out via email every fall).
- Many students go home over winter break
- WashU allows students to stay in their residence halls
- The dining options will be limited during this time.
- WashU students are allowed to stay in their residence halls over spring break
- Keep an eye out for an email every spring
- Many students choose to stay in STL or travel locally during spring break.
- WashU offers some full-time and part-time summer internships. Many of these internships programs cover housing and meal plans in addition to hourly pay or a stipend.
- Some of these internships are through:
- Undergraduate Admissions Summer Internship Program
- Skandalaris Center – Summer Entrepreneurial Internship Program
- Goldman Fellows Program financially supports undergraduates who secure unpaid summer internships at nonprofit, community, or governmental organizations in the St. Louis region
- Residential Life (summer RAs, etc.)
- Summer Programs Conference Assistant
- Program Assistant for the Summer College Prep Program, a program for local high school students in St. Louis, who are from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds, to expose them to college life for a month and show them how capable they are of achieving higher education!
- For additional opportunities, click here.
- Some of these internships are through:
- Search for more WashU and non-WashU opportunities in Handshake, the WashU Center for Career Engagement’s career management platform
- When to start looking
- “Many competitive programs through universities, hospitals, businesses and corporations release applications beginning in November and have deadlines in January or February. Starting your search during winter break is ideal because it will allow you to compose application essays, cover letters and seek recommendation without constraints from your coursework. However, there are other opportunities that may present themselves in March and late April speaking from personal experience.” – Alex Madrid
- Budgeting for Summer
- The WashU Center for Career Engagement offers stipends of up to $3000 for unpaid internships, but you should try to begin your search and application process for summer internships as early possible. The Office of Undergraduate Research offers Summer Undergraduate Research Awards, which provide funding for undergraduates pursuing research from all academic backgrounds.