Hi.
I've been offered a position as Campus Rep at McMaster from breakaway tours. Before I accept, I wanted to get a general idea of how many people would be willing to go on trips, international or national.
From personal experience, I think breakaway tours is awesum! I went to montreal with them last year for spring break and it was so much fun. It's basically a huge party. The supervisors there are basically people in their late teens or early 20's and all are pretty chilled. No curfew, do whatever you want. They even gave us tips on where and where not to use our fake ids!!
For more information on destinations and pricing, check out http://www.breakawaytours.co m/College
Thanks!

When I was in highschool I always said i'd go on some awesome vacations during University spring break.. now that i've been in University for the past few years, I realized I can barely even afford a bus ticket to Quebec, nevermind a full-out spring break week vacation.

Personally I don't think there's a huge market in relation to selling vacations to University students. A lot of us are already pretty broke as it is. That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

I second that. While I'd like to go on a trip somewhere...I'm totally broke.

I'd like to go on a trip, but most of the plans are a huge rip-off.

Backpacking ftw.

I totally agree with whats been said above. I got the whole "go on a trip and get drunk without your parents around" thing out of my system back in Grade 12 when our grad trip was on... a Caribbean cruise. Yes. It was alot of money, but SO worth it. While I do think that it is possible for a student to be able to afford a trip over Reading Week, this would mean that they would have to get a part time job, maybe even cutback on weekly expenses.. blahblah, you know what I mean. But no matter what, there will be students that are willing to go on trips, you just need to show them why it's worth while to fork out a grand (more or less). If these trips weren't such a ripoff, sooo many people would go.

Well I disagee slightly, I haven't serious Sociological research yet, but from where I see it alot of people on this forum are from a similarlish background. People who take student loans, work as much as they can during breaks, are involved on campus and well, If I must say it have a certain degree of down to earth nerdiness in them. Obviously they aren't the market for Spring Breaks, you will be suprised though at the number of rich Oakville/Toronto/Burlington/Brantford kids that go to Mac from some VERY privileged backgrounds. I do see Beemers and CLK's(You know who you are ) and Porsches in the parking lot from time to time; chances are these people most probably haven't earnt those cars themselves!

But the reason you won't hear their opinions in here is because well such people are usually the Biggest market for apathy and complete lack of Interest in the McMaster community apart from their group of similarly rich friends.

The voter turnout rate of 10-20% would probably support that.

You will not find the opinion of those people over here, atleast according to my best guess. Alot of what such people who get such jobs do is created facebook groups, after that it depends on your contacts. I have a theory that the only target market you might have for people who save up for a trip like this is graduating students aka 4th years who feel they must "experience" this before they enter the real world hence spend their savings with some help from mom/dad(graduating gift perhaps) towards this stuff.

But anything below that you should be looking at the rich population at Mac, I haven't spent much time within them(none actually) but If my interactions with the filthy rich back home are valid they tend to operate in cliques. You get a few of them onboard, they should be able to get equally rich friends on as well.
But it should be a bit of a struggle, I think different reps/companies offer different destinations and I'm not sure if Mexico is still going to be popular after the Swine Flu stuff.

Yeah, I feel like most of these youth tour companies really try to sell the "get drunk with hot chicks your age" deal, and frankly if I want to go on a trip, I want to see things. I can get wasted at home. Sorry.

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

Well I disagee slightly, I haven't serious Sociological research yet, but from where I see it alot of people on this forum are from a similarlish background. People who take student loans, work as much as they can during breaks, are involved on campus and well, If I must say it have a certain degree of down to earth nerdiness in them. Obviously they aren't the market for Spring Breaks, you will be suprised though at the number of rich Oakville/Toronto/Burlington/Brantford kids that go to Mac from some VERY privileged backgrounds. I do see Beemers and CLK's(You know who you are ) and Porsches in the parking lot from time to time; chances are these people most probably haven't earnt those cars themselves!

But the reason you won't hear their opinions in here is because well such people are usually the Biggest market for apathy and complete lack of Interest in the McMaster community apart from their group of similarly rich friends.

The voter turnout rate of 10-20% would probably support that.

You will not find the opinion of those people over here, atleast according to my best guess. Alot of what such people who get such jobs do is created facebook groups, after that it depends on your contacts. I have a theory that the only target market you might have for people who save up for a trip like this is graduating students aka 4th years who feel they must "experience" this before they enter the real world hence spend their savings with some help from mom/dad(graduating gift perhaps) towards this stuff.

But anything below that you should be looking at the rich population at Mac, I haven't spent much time within them(none actually) but If my interactions with the filthy rich back home are valid they tend to operate in cliques. You get a few of them onboard, they should be able to get equally rich friends on as well.
But it should be a bit of a struggle, I think different reps/companies offer different destinations and I'm not sure if Mexico is still going to be popular after the Swine Flu stuff.

I was waiting for someone to mention the RICH Oakville kids bahaha. I'm from Oakville, but I don't want to say whether or not I'm rich because in my mind/comparing myself to other people in Oaks, I don't feel like I am. But if you do come to my 5 million dollar mansion, ignore the BMW in the driveway.. it's my dad's 2nd car but he's letting me drive it while he drives his Porsche

But seriously, I agree that aiming for the "richer" crowd is probobly your best bet, but I've found that people I've encountered at Mac, despite their affluent backgrounds, become incredibly frugal (I wanted to say cheap, but I don't think that's the right word in this context) and like micadjems said, most people go on these trips to get drunk and why pay so much money for that when you can stay in the comfort of your home and do it =)

On top of that, even if alot of people's parents are willing to give them the money, let's not forget the good ol' swine flu. I wouldn't let my kid go to Mexico with this flu thing going on, even if Canada has lifted the travel advisory on Mexico.

I think my old housemate used to do this... she said a lot of things that we no longer believe.. long story... Anyways, I believe she did quite well with this. And, most of my housemates took advantage of the trips too so there must be people out there who bought them. Personally, I wouldn't have gone on one.. I prefer to just visit family who conveintly live in vacation locations! haha

Breakaway Tours randomly mailed us a giant box of caffeine chocolates. That was a good day. I still don't understand why.. none of my other housemates wanted them so hehehehehehehehheeheh ehehehhehehehehhe I gotz lotsa caffeine!

There is a LOT of students who are not broke at all... they just don't waste their time postig on forums but go to work lol. I think there is a lot of potential at mac.. and I always go away for summer/xmas/spring break and wanted to try breakaway tours this year

Originally Posted by Katia

There is a LOT of students who are not broke at all... they just don't waste their time postig on forums but go to work lol. I think there is a lot of potential at mac.. and I always go away for summer/xmas/spring break and wanted to try breakaway tours this year

Maybe I worded my post wrong. I totally agree, there's a lot of students who aern't broke, BUT, that being said.. for me personally, i'd much rather put that extra cash towards tuition, student loans, books, etc. I know it's somthing that's fun for the moment, but I know afterwards i'd feel horrible about spending money on a trip when tuitions comes around to being due, or rent's due. Especially when i'll be able to take much better vacations once i'm done school, and working in my field.

That's just me. I analyze a lot! haha, especially when it comes to money. I must make sure my money is being allocated the right way, and not thrown away on impulse purchases like "get-drunk & party spring break trips" although I will be travelling to Italy this summer, but my family has a home there so it's quite different.

Originally Posted by Katia

they just don't waste their time postig on forums but go to work lol.

I think you're joking, but watch it.

I have three jobs this summer.

hmmm...
well... I'm going to be starting my first year - i dont know if its going to be hard getting to kno the rich oakvillians and the 4th years.

Originally Posted by samantha__

But if you do come to my 5 million dollar mansion, ignore the BMW in the driveway.. it's my dad's 2nd car but he's letting me drive it while he drives his Porsche

:0 Good God, 5 million! And I thought Canada was a tax heavy/socialist country where you aren't simply allowed to get rich!

But I've never actually been to Oakville, I heard about 20 Million Lakeshore homes but I thought they were just a myth!

but I've found that people I've encountered at Mac, despite their affluent backgrounds, become incredibly frugal (I wanted to say cheap, but I don't think that's the right word in this context)

Are you saying "Frugal" based on your perspective or the perspective of your average struggling/In Debt student?

But I reallly don' think they are all that frugal, the amount I've heard some rich people throw away on drinks on a single night at a club is RIDICULOUS. I mean I have also heard that parents start putting all these lectures/restrictions on them so that they don't get complacent and start working hard and realize the importance of earning their own money and other sociological cliches like that but still I don't think they won't finance the trip for their lovely lovely children now won't they?