So, you get home from school after waiting for what seems like hours in the line to exit the parking lot (Why is there only one parking lot exit?). Maybe you don’t have much homework, or maybe you do but who ever said homework was mandatory anyways? All too often, we get home from school thinking the day is over at 4 pm, that we need to get sucked into the routine of do homework, eat, go to bed. But friends, come on! That is so boring!!!!! You only live once, so might as well make the most of each day. The day is certainly not over when we get home from school, so with spring and the beautiful Charleston weather approaching, I’ve decided to create a list of fun things you can do after school on school nights to spice up your daily after school routine.

Go to the Beach

We live in a city with beautiful beaches, and who says you can only go to the beach in the summer? No one! Last week, I went to Folly after school to go on a run (well, run might be an overstatement, it was mostly me struggling to get past a brisk walk) and it was awesome!! Depending on where you live, the beach is probably no more than 30 minutes away. We are beyond lucky to live on the coast, so let’s try and take advantage of the Lowcountry’s natural beauty at every opportunity. Try taking your dog for a walk, going for a run, or just heading to the beach to catch up on some reading for your English Class. And another major plus: It’s currently the beach’s offseason meaning there are way less people at the beach.

Take a Free Yoga Class

Interested in learning some yoga but don’t want to shovel out $20 plus dollars for just one class? Charleston Power Yoga has free yoga classes at their downtown location at 4:00 pm on Fridays (good luck getting out of the parking lot to get there…) and free classes at 7:15 pm at their Mount Pleasant location. Savannah Wray says the class is “amazing,” and that “you don’t need any experience,” so you have nothing to lose! Give it a try.

Go to a new coffee shop to get some homework done

Sometimes I feel like my house is a jungle of distractions when I am trying to get some homework done, so next time you’re trying but failing to make any progress on that essay, check out a coffee shop near your house for a change of atmosphere, muffin, and free WiFi. I’d recommend Muddy Waters on James Island, BakeHouse downtown, Mixson Market and The Orange Spot near school, and I’ve heard Second State downtown and Vintage Coffee Cafe or Collective Coffee in Mount Pleasant are also great. And of course, the Charleston area is dotted with Starbucks.

Find some new music

I have Spotify, so I cannot really speak to apple music or Itunes users, but I would highly recommend exploring the endless abyss of Spotify playlists, artists similar to your favorite bands and musicians, and recommended songs. Definitely follow your “Discover Weekly” playlist to find some new tunes.

You could call these tips ways to crush monotony or encourage procrastination, it’s all how you look at it! Enjoy!