Spring break is creeping up fast, and if you don't have anything planned yet or you just don't have a lot of money to go anywhere, there's no need to worry. There are plenty of fun things to do over spring break even if you're on a tight budget.

Sure, people always talk about their spring break trips to Florida, Mexico, or some other beach-side place, but you don't need to buy an expensive plane ticket to get away. You also don't need to be thousands of miles away to experience something different. Just hop in the car with some friends and drive somewhere!

Gatlinburg, Tenn. is less than a six-hour drive from Dayton and has a lot to offer. Gatlinburg is in the Great Smoky Mountains and has plenty of scenic places to stay. You and your friends can rent your own cabin or chalet for as little as $100 per night. Most chalets come with a kitchen, fireplace, hot tub and pool table. You could go hiking through the mountains, white-water rafting, horseback riding or just hang out with your friends in your cabin in the mountains, to name a few activities. For more information about lodging and what you can do in the city, go to http://www.gatlinburg.com.

Not a road trip person? That's okay, too. There are still a lot of things to do if you're at home. Try creating a project for yourself like starting or continuing a scrapbook of your college years. Scrapbooking can take a lot of time, which you will have plenty of over break. Plus, a scrapbook is something you will have forever and will be happy to look back on and remember all the good times you had here at UD.

There are some new movies coming out over break you can go check out. 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley' will be making its U.S. debut Friday, Mar. 16. It was named 'Best Film' at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and stars Cillian Murphy ('Red Eye' and 'Batman Begins') as Damien. Damien is the leader of a guerrilla army trying to get the British out of Ireland in 1920. After the British and Irish armies form a treaty to stop bloodshed, it turns into an Irish civil war between those for and against the treaty. The Irish army is split and Damien is then forced to fight against his own brother and others he had once fought side-by-side with. I saw this film when it was released in Ireland over the summer and recommend it. I also recommend bringing a few tissues.

We all have plenty of reading to do for class, but over spring break you can catch up on reading some of the books you never have time to read otherwise. A book that I finally got around to reading and would definitely recommend is 'Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini. It was released in 2004 and a movie based on the novel will be coming out at the end of this year. It tells the story of Amir, who grew up in Afghanistan during the 1970s. The book first goes through Amir's life in Afghanistan and his friendship with Hassan, the son of his father's servant. Then it goes into Amir's life in America after he and his father have to leave Afghanistan.

So, as you can see, there is no need to worry if you don't have any plans for spring break yet. Even if a trip is not an option, you can stay at home, save some money, relax and do all those things you want to do but can never find the time to during school.