So, what are you doing for spring break this year?

“I’m either going to stay on campus or go home and do nothing,” says Brant Kassel, freshman in liberal arts and sciences — open option.

This is probably the most common response to the dreaded mid-spring question. While a number of students plan months in advance for travel to far-off exotic locations or anywhere with a beach and a bar, another group is left in the dust — or, in the case of Iowa and its temperamental weather, the snow. If you haven’t been planning and saving for months for your spring break trip, or if the idea of spending time with your family seems too horrible to consider, cheer up! There’s still time to plan your last-minute spring break excursion, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

The biggest problem for most students is the money involved.

“We were going to go to [Washington] D.C., but nixed that plan,” Kassel says. “It was more money than we wanted to spend.”

The first factor to consider is how far away you want to get. Unfortunately, at this point, unless you’re willing to shell out at least $400 for a plane ticket, it is unlikely you are going to be flying to Florida next week. According to travel Web site www.expedia.com, the cheapest flight from Minneapolis to Dallas is $205, as both cities are major flying hubs. So, with a few hundred dollars, it’s possible to fly from a hub (such as Minneapolis or St. Louis) to another hub (like Atlanta or Dallas).

If flying is out of the question, and with gas prices nearing $2 a gallon, your next-best bet may be staying somewhere relatively close in the Midwest. Luckily, Iowa and the Midwest still offer ample opportunities for interesting travel.

“Last year I just went to Kansas City with a group of girls. We just went on a shopping spree,” says Elyse Rickel, sophomore in apparel merchandising, design and production.

Staying in the Midwest might not be as appealing as lounging on the beach, but time spent hanging out somewhere new — even if it’s in the area — is probably a lot more appealing than listening to your parents tell you to clean your room for a whole week.

“I’m going up to the Mall of America [in Minneapolis] and the [Mystic Lake] casino … because you can be 18 there,” says Jason Schott, sophomore in mechanical engineering. “We just planned it a week or so ago.”