"It's great to get away from any sort of convention," said Jessica Seufer, a senior leisure studies major. "It puts me at ease and gets me ready to tackle the hustle and confusion of everyday living."

Seufer enjoyed a weekend at Hiram House Camp in Moreland Hills, a year-round children's camp that opens its facilities to conferences and retreats. She went there with a group of classmates from Kent State.

"The best part was the high-ropes course," she said. "I really liked the teamwork because you are totally dependent on your partner and the people on the ground (who hold your rope in case you fall). Plus it's just a rush being 35-feet off the ground."

She began to feel the adrenaline rush when she started climbing the ladder, she said, and her doubts escalated with her.

"I wasn't sure it was something I wanted to do when I got up there," she said. "But, it got easier with every step."

Although group reservations are needed to stay at the Hiram House Camp, Ohio offers more than 110 public and private campgrounds ranging from $5 to $27 a night, some so modern they offer modem hook-ups and air-conditioned bathrooms.

There are dozens of campgrounds in Northeast Ohio alone, many just minutes away from Kent.

West Branch State Park in Ravenna offers fishing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice boating and ice fishing for $8 a night. Portage Lakes State Park in Green offers sites for $10 a night.

Many other campsites in this area are expensive because of traffic from Geauga Lake and Sea World. Similarly, campsites in the Sandusky area are expensive because of Cedar Point traffic. Still, there are some nice places to stay in Port Clinton for about $25 a night.

If you are willing to drive a couple of hours, both Pymatuning State Park in Andover and Mosquito State Park in Cortland are perched beside beautiful river-fed lakes. They offer boating, fishing, cross-country skiing and ice-skating for $10 a night.

But if sleeping on the cold ground isn't fun for you, many campgrounds, such as Jellystone Park Camp Resort in Aurora and Mar-Lynn Lake Park in Streetsboro, offer sleeping cabins for about $50 a night.

Typically, the more expensive the campground the more likely it will have flush toilets and showers. But if low-budget, primitive camping is more your style, National Forests are always free to hike and camp. But bring your own water and toilet paper; the only amenities found in the National Forests are fresh air and unabridged nature. National Forests, such as Wayne in Southeastern Ohio, are designated by shaded green areas on road maps. It is about a three-hour drive to Wayne, much of which borders the Ohio River, and it remains some of the most pristine acreage in Ohio.

Also, the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania are beautiful country and wealthy in scenic rivers.

Rest and relaxation is important. And getting away for a couple of days may reduce stress, ultimately improving mental and physical health.

"Vacations have a definite positive effect on mental health," said Thomas Pickton, psychologist with The Associates in Family Wellness in Stow. "It is helpful any time you can get away from the stress of the job and the routine of going to work everyday. It helps rejuvenate the sense of adventure and revitalize state of mind."

It is important to get away from routines at home too, especially disliked household chores, according to Summit Psychological Associate James Frye.

"With the increasing number of two-career families, managing time within the household is important," he said. "Household chores, like laundry, shopping and dishes, are additional stress.

"Much of that burden falls on the woman. Men help, and that's great, but when something doesn't get done, society points the finger at the woman. It is clearly a sort of sexism and additional stress on women."

And college students may need to do some extra planning for that weekend excursion.

"One of the primary stresses in college is that there is always something hanging over your head like a cloud," Frye said. "It is a continual feeling that you should be doing something else. A helpful discipline is organizing your time so you are not overwhelmed.

"Getting away for the weekend is a way of putting things off and taking the cloud from over your head for a while, knowing that when you come back that you can take care of things because you allotted time and planned ahead."

A couple of days away can also help to evaluate your goals. Kent State psychology department Chairman John Graham said, "One thing many people realize on vacation is they are trying to do too much. It helps people self-examine and reorganize to make positive changes, particularly for busy, active people."

Kent State Medical Center Psychologist Tom DiNardo recommended taking a vacation sometime toward the middle of the semester to ease the stress of project deadlines.

Seufer said she enjoys camping on private property in Madison, her hometown.

"Whenever I get the urge to go, I call some friends and go out to the country," she said. "It's fun to go out for a fancy dinner every once in a while, but it's more fun to sit around a campfire and talk for hours and play silly games and stare at the stars."