After being away at college for a full year you get used to college life and will forget what it is like to live at home. Here is a list of 10 things that WILL happen when you come home for the summer after living away at school:

1. Chores will start!!

As soon as I came home from school my mom gave me household chores to do. I would always walk downstairs into my kitchen and there would be at least five post-it notes on each appliance directing me what to do. “Talk out the trash.” “Clean out the dishwasher.” They were all simple tasks, but I was not used to any of this when I was at school.

2. Reunite with friends from home.

Reuniting with friends is great because it may have been months since you last saw them. Usually they will catch you up on their lives at school and you will be able to share all your stories from school. Typically when you meet up with friends that you have not seen in a while, you will do things that is the “group norm”. When I reunite with my friends from home, we usually go for frozen yogurt and/or buffalo wild wings.

3. Find a Netflix show.

Finding a show on Netflix is a necessity. What will you do in your spare time when you are home doing nothing? During college you have pretty much no free time at all; however, when you come home it is the complete opposite. There is so much free time on your hands and you may have no idea what to do with it. Netflix is the perfect solution. My Netflix show this summer has been That 70's Show and Parks and Recreation.

4. Get a job.

Getting a job is a great thing to do for the summer so you can save money to have for the upcoming semester when you will not have time to work. Also, when you are home you will no longer be stuck on campus so there are a lot more expenses that come with being home for summer. Therefore, getting a job can be extremely helpful. I am actually required to work a job for the summer based on my major at FDU. Since I am a hospitality major, every single summer I have to complete a work experience.

5. Sleeping late.

One of the beauties of summer break is sleeping much later than usual. You no longer have to worry about those 8:30am classes twice a week. It is much easier to sleep until 1:00pm every single day. I have been catching up on my sleep since I have been home from school and I love it.

6. Amazing meals.

For starters, there is absolutely no cafeteria food. Suddenly, Applebees and TGI Friday’s are the best restaurants ever. I have grown so used to cafeteria food that when I come home I appreciate everything I eat so much more.

7. Missing friends from college.

Eventually time will go by and you will miss being a short distance away from your friends down the hall or in the dorm next to yours. However, if you are lucky they may live close enough for you to visit them a couple times over summer break. Missing your college friends gives you something to look forward to when going back to school.

8. Everything is much farther to get to!

You have to adjust back to the fact that you must drive to get anywhere. Your friend may be a 10-20 minute drive from your house. If you want to go to the beach, that may take you sometime to get there. It is not just a walk out of your dorm and a few steps down campus. Things are different. Also, walking to the fridge takes a lot longer to get to. Food is no longer as convenient as it was in your dorm room which is kind of depressing.

9. Trying to fit in all your “Favorites” before summer is over.

Summer break may be three months; however, it will go by fast. It is imperative to fit in everything that you love about your hometown before you have to leave again. I know I am looking forward to going to my favorite fondue restaurant, “The Melting Pot” with my boyfriend for our six month anniversary. Also, I would love to see some new movies and go to the beach a few times before I have to go back to school. What will you do this summer?

10. When you come home from school, the biggest thing that will happen is you will enjoy summer break in some way or another.

Maybe you will get to spend time with your family that you have not seen much all year. Maybe you can enjoy time on the beach and go swimming. Also, there are plenty of summer concerts and carnivals. Maybe, you will get to go on vacation. However no matter what you do, it will always be more enjoyable than finals, midterms, and classes. So, enjoy it and appreciate it!! I know I will.