As an English major, I’ve been trained to look to the Oxford English Dictionary for the answers to all of life’s toughest questions.

Over the years, I’ve learned that the O.E.D.’s skills (yes, we call it that) exceed those of the Ouji Board and even my Magic 8-Ball, because when that damn 8-Ball tells me it “Cannot predict now,” my trusty dictionary’s got my back.

When I wondered, for example, whether my spring break this year is going to suck or not, I turned to the dictionary. and it told me, “As I see it, yes.”

Actually, it told me that winter is not technically over until the March equinox around the 21st of the month, and that Sacramento State is letting us out prematurely, giving us a spring break with winter weather. Well, it said something like that.

The seasonal vacation usually associated with Easter, sunshine and Cancun will be nothing like the dream this year, at least not for me.

Since I’m saving up to travel abroad in May, Cancun or any such trip before then is out of the question, and in the East Bay where I’ll be, it’s “Outlook not so good” for a tan or a dip in the pool, since the chances of rain are high.

For those of you who are making it to Mexico, only about 50 percent of Cancun accommodations have been rebuilt since Hurricane Wilma hit in October – so yeah, have fun with that. At least with the earlier break traveling will be cheaper than it would during the typical April dates, but will it be as fun?

I know that many other schools across the country have their break around this time as well and I’m looking forward to seeing my friends at home, but many of those schools are also private and have a whole other spring break as well.

I mean, the Easter holiday itself has little to do with my gripe except that Sac State only resumed its classes a month and a half ago after the seemingly never-ending winter break, and I could have waited until I was really on the brink of stress meltdown in April.

Now, once we come back from break, students have to suffer through two months of endless classes, including finals and, for some classes, midterms as well.

Usually, spring breaks give students a chance to relax, spend some time in the sun and maybe get laid, but the only thing this break will give me is a chance to work on the array of homework due afterward.

I’ll probably just stay inside, cuddled up next to the heater with my textbooks and play a “College Girls Gone Wild” tape in the background. You know, just to feel like I had the experience.