As Christmas gets closer, college semesters finish with students taking finals and going home to spend a few weeks at home. Any student home for the holidays has experienced at least a few of these things while home for break, but if it's your first big college break, good luck.
1. You'll wait until you're done with finals and home to even think about doing your Christmas shopping.
It doesn't matter if it's in a store or online, but if you decide to order online, make sure to do it early enough so you can guarantee you'll be able to wrap them and give them for when the time comes to exchange gifts.
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2. While you are out doing your gift shopping, you'll come across an old high school friend and talk for at least five minutes.
You know it happens to everyone, right, including me. Last year, while I was home for break, I had to do my gift shopping, but when I did, a girl I knew in high school was doing her shopping too. So we talked for a at least a good 10 minutes or so, catching up.
3. You'll be able to sleep in for the first time since the semester started.
And you won't have to worry about setting an alarm to get up early because you have something to do, someone to meet up with, make it to breakfast/lunch/brunch or have any homework/studying to do.
4. You'll be bored by the second day, so you'll lounge around and watch TV all do and not do anything productive.
That's basically how it was for me last year, and most likely how it'll be this year, after I finish observing classrooms the Tuesday before Christmas.
5. Either your house/tree is all decorated already and you had no part in helping or you're family waited until you were home to start/finish decorating.
Honestly if it was the former, I wouldn't be mad/disappointed, it just means our house is already festive and I didn't have to put any work in.
6. You'll have to face the daunting book list for your classes.
Ordering books earlier rather than later is better to have the required books for your classes, especially in case there's a reading on the first day. Also, the mail room will be overflowing with packages and be backed up by a few days, so ordering earlier will guarantee you'll have your books by the first day of classes.
7. Having to pack winter and spring/summer clothes for the spring semester.
8. You're parents will most likely make you do some chores around the house and be back by a certain curfew, as if you were still in high school.
But that's ok, because they weren't at school with you, so they don't know (or have to know) your daily grind.
9. But if you're lucky enough, you're mom will do you're laundry, so you don't have to do it and get that pesky stain out of your favorite shirt that you tried so hard to get out all semester.
10. You'll have access to all the amazing food and drinks you can think of, including home-cooked meals that you missed.
11. You may start to miss your home away from home, including your room, friends, professors, etc.
12. You may fight with your siblings about who get the car when and to go where, and which one is most important, hence needs the car the most.
13. You'll be able to spend as much time with your pets as you can.
You'll be able to hug all them until they break, pamper them, and just love on them as much as you possibly can. I mean you haven't seen them for a good few months, so surely you miss them.
14. You'll make as many appointments as you can.
Doesn't matter if they're eye doctor, check-ups, hair/nail appointments, because you didn't have time or place to get them done while at school. Plus for doctor's appointments it's best to go to a known doctor on your family's insurance plan and know what to expect.
15. You'll have get to listen to traditional Christmas carols.
And if you happen to have immigrant parents like I do, they are in their native language and get annoying after about a week of listening to them on repeat.
16. You'll smell all the good things that fill the house that are cooking on Christmas Eve/Day, whether you help or not.
17. You'll be asked the college student's most hated questions by at least one person.
These include questions about your major, what you want to do after college, what you learned this semester, and the worst for single people, if you're dating someone and if not, then why, or if you even like someone.
18. You're bound to have at least a glass of wine with dinner a few times/champagne on New Years Eve.
This is especially true if you're over 21 or parents allow it, since they are from a country where the drinking age is 18, and they would rather you drink responsibly at home with them than not at a party. Please drink responsibly, though. Also, fun fact: in some states, it's legal for minors to drink at home with their parents. Check state laws from the state you live in to verify.
19. You'll be dragged into going to at least one Christmas party at a family or family friend's house.
Sometimes these can be fun, acting like a little kid again while watching kids, just talking with old friends, or watching a goo, classic movie.
20. All of the craziness that is our families.
It doesn't matter what kind of family we come from, but all of our families have those little quirks we'll miss once we go back to school. For me, it's the communication barrier between my grandmother who doesn't know any English and my sister's boyfriend, who only knows English, but is trying ot learn Polish to impress my grandma. Sometimes the things she says are so funny and he doesn't understand anything, but both my parents, sister, and I burst out laughing, and he has no clue what's going on. Then we have to translate what she said so he can understand, but by then it's not as funny anymore. There are a ton more quirks about my family I miss while at school. but I cherish them while at home, as long as I can.
