10 Things College Students Experience Over Summer Break | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

10 Things College Students Experience Over Summer Break

Summer is finally here.

36
10 Things College Students Experience Over Summer Break
The Funeral Commander

Summer is finally here, which means college kids everywhere can finally relax. Students have three glorious months to do absolutely anything they want. Some decide to do nothing all summer, while others work full time to save as much money as possible. The possibilities are endless, and unless you're one of the unlucky students who have to take summer classes, you're probably as excited as I was to be able to unwind. That is, until the boredom set in.

1. Boredom

The most common way college kids feel during the summer is bored. We have three study-free months, and as much as we love that, it can get boring not being as busy as we're used to. Summer is hyped up to be this time that you get to travel and hang out with your friends every day, and while some people do that, most of us just end up binge-watching a show on Netflix for a week or two. Yeah, we'll leave the house and do something fun eventually, but with most of our friends working and the fact that the ones who aren't are all broke, it's more likely that we'll spend the summer in our pajamas than on the beach.

2. Missing Our Friends

I miss my friends a lot. Most of the friends I've made in college live hours away from where I do, so this makes it difficult for us to meet up. If we wanted to grab lunch or watch a movie, one of us would have to drive four or more hours, which makes seeing each other over the summer almost impossible. College introduces you to new and great people, and unfortunately, many of them live miles away from you.

3. Freedom

College kids can finally do all the things they wanted to do during the school year. We can travel, we can hang out with friends all day, we can work all summer. We can do anything that we want. College students have a unique freedom, as we are adults but not yet tied down to serious careers. This is the time to have fun, and we are. If we're not watching Netflix all week, we really are out with our friends and family making memories that'll last forever. Anything feels possible after surviving finals.

4. Guilt

This one came as a surprise. At the end of the spring semester, I was so ready to not have to go to class or take tests, but now that I'm halfway through the summer I feel guilty for not having more to stress over. I remember being so responsible during the semester (with the few exceptions of not studying as much as I needed to some days) and now I'm not doing much of anything. To my embarrassment, I haven't even unpacked my dorm things. I'm back home for the summer and let's be real, every college kids takes advantage of the responsibility-free zone that is your parent's house. You don't have to cook, or study and sometimes you don't even have to do laundry. While I'm reveling in the freedom, I'm also feeling like a bum. It's like I'm back to being a little kid again, and I'm feeling a good amount of guilt for not doing more work. Maybe I'll start cleaning the house more, who knows.

5. Campus Withdrawals

I love my campus, and I'm missing it quite a bit right now. I miss the atmosphere of walking in the quad, the events held on campus, and even going to class. For around nine months I lived on campus, and I became accustomed to life there. It's weird not being there and with my friends, even if I am having a great time back home. I'm sure many other students who lived on campus this year understand this feeling.

6. Excitement

College students are enjoying summer, but we're also excited about the upcoming semester. We're excited for the new possibilities that going back to school will bring, which can mean anything from a new internship to a class we're really looking forward to. Some of us are excited to get the last semester or year out of the way so that graduation is one step closer. Going back to school is always like opening a new chapter in your life because you'll never know what great things college will bring. We're not necessarily ready for summer to be over, but when it is, we won't be that upset about it.

7. Stress

We are excited to go back to school. Don't get me wrong. We're just also super stressed about it. School is super expensive, and many who worked all summer will watch their savings account dwindle yet again. This can be scary for students that will be paying rent in the fall, and I for one am not looking forward to the amount of money that I'll have to pay just to live in an apartment. Many of us are also about to take on a heavier course load than we're used to, and that is a terrifying prospect. Having to keep up your grades again sounds horrible for the relaxing student, and the stress is already building.

8. Pride

College kids are undeniably proud of all that they accomplished this year. We survived finals, morning classes, gun threats and God knows what else. We even managed to keep our GPAs up, which was an incredible feat. We had a long year, and each semester brought new challenges harder than the last. We dealt with it all and managed to make the best of it. This might not seem like a big deal to many, but to us, it means everything. We're really proud of ourselves, and no one can take that feeling away from us.

9. Dodging People We Graduated With

For many of us who go home for the summer, it's not long before we run into an old friend or someone who graduated high school with us. This can be a good thing for many, but for others seeing people from high school can be pretty frustrating. We thought we'd never see that one ex or annoying classmate ever again, but here they are, bagging our groceries or working out in the same gym that we are. While these people usually never cross our minds anymore, they still find a way to irk us even in the fleeting moments we see them around town. This is mostly for those of us who attend a college that's not close to home, but this can also apply to students that did stay local. Even students who stayed close to home hate seeing people they graduated with, and who can blame them?

10. Finally Getting Enough Sleep

One of the worst things about college is not getting enough sleep, and students everywhere are taking advantage of the summer to catch up on the sleep they lost during the semester. This is probably the best thing about summer. Being able to sleep until noon or nap without consequence is amazing. The bad thing about this, though, is that most of us are oversleeping. I'm even starting to get headaches from sleeping too much, but hey, I need all the sleep I can get before school starts again.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

451
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

15395
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3160
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments