Summer break is something that we experience every year beginning in kindergarten. However, never before has it been such a struggle. The summer is supposed to be a break and give people time to relax or go on vacations. Unfortunately, for most of us, summer break is not one long vacation. Here is my list of 10 struggles we all experience during the summers away from college.
1. Losing independence
No offense, mom and dad, but we did just spend a school year away from home and got used to living a particular kind of lifestyle. We could do whatever we wanted (within reason) and did not have to tell anyone or check with anyone before we did it. It may take a good portion of the summer to get back in the swing of asking for permission and readjusting to living under our parents' roof again.
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2. Forgetting what a sleep schedule is supposed to be
A respectable sleep schedule was probably the first thing to go once summer began. Not only do we not sleep at regular hours, but we are probably confused as to which day it is and what the time even is.
3. Having too much time on our hands
What am I supposed to do if I am not writing essays and reading hundreds of pages every night? Without class, homework, and meetings, I have no idea what to do with all of my time.
4. Boredom
A side effect of having so much extra time is that we are going to be bored. A lot. At college, there is always something going on, but not at home!
5. Missing college friends
I miss being able to see everyone every day. At first, it was stressful never being alone at college, but I got used to having people around all the time. It guaranteed there was never a dull moment. Luckily, I have been able to see my best friends this summer, but it is not enough. I am ready to be around them 24/7 like I am used to.
6. That awkward moment when you see people from high school
Not everyone from high school will seem like a stranger. Chances are that you have kept in touch with people, and they are your only reprieve from the summer boredom. However, there are those moments when you run into someone you would sometimes talk to in high school at Walmart and it was full of awkward.
7. Getting used to life being different than when you left
Everything has changed at least a little. Hometown power couples have broken up, friend groups have changed, and the workers at your favorite store have changed (and the new workers do not recognize you). It makes home feel a lot less like home.
8. Finding out that something has changed or something is new
A new restaurant has opened up or a store has reorganized. It feels like a secret that everyone else was told but you were left out. While I was gone this past spring semester, my hometown Walmart completely reorganized, and I still have not gotten used to it.
9. Remembering why you could not wait to go away to college in the first place
The summer before you first went to college was full of excitement and you could not wait to leave. Winter break back home may have been nice, but it was not for very long. It was a nice break from class, but summer on the other hand is long enough to remind you of exactly why you were ready to leave.
10. The realization that college is home
This realization came to me not long after coming home for the summer.College is where we finally get to be ourselves with new people. College is where we get to shine and work for something meaningful. Coming back home feels strange. Hometowns just do not quite feel as much like home anymore. College has became home, and that is all right.
I do love my hometown. It will always have a special place in my heart. It just isn't my home anymore. I am ready to go back to college.
Stay positive.
