When finals week finally rolls around, all you can think about is going home. You would give anything to just be done so you can see your family and sleep in your own bed and eat a home cooked meal.
Not going to lie, I was ready to head back to Texas about a week after spring break. There are definitely things about Davidson that I am not going to miss in my three months off. Eating at commons. That constant feeling that you forgot something, and then realizing that something is your Catcard. The shameful texts to the hall GroupMe asking to be let into the dorm after you forget your Catcard. 3 am nights in the library. Nonetheless, the more time away I spend away from Davidson the more I realize that there are some things that I do really miss, and from what I can tell I’m not the only one who feels this way. Here is a list of some of the thing about Davidson you may be longing for this summer.
1. Being able to walk everywhere
Don’t get me wrong- I love my car and the freedom that comes with driving. However, there is something nice about leaving your room on a whim and being on the other side of campus in less than 15 minutes (if you aren’t in a hurry. I’ve definitely made it across campus in 5 when I was rushing). When everything is so close, it’s easy to be spontaneous. You can leave for the movie 10 minutes before it starts and be there in time to buy popcorn and a drink. You can walk to the Millstone Bakery for pastry happy hour, or to Brick House for some great pizza. Being home is wonderful and having my car back is a dream come true, but I miss the leisurely strolls across campus that became a daily part of every Davidson student’s life.
2. Summit Outpost (aka nummit)
The perfect Pinterest lighting. The background music that ranges from Frank Sinatra to Fetty Wap. The killer brunch menu. The trivia every Wednesday. The slightly overpriced coffee beverages that you still buy anyway. During the school year, nummit is the perfect place to sit back, take a deep breath, and enjoy life when the world seems to be moving just a little too fast. Now that summer is here, all I want is to sit on one of the many comfy couches with a Glacier Gulp and think about anything but school. Though there are some wonderful coffee shops near home, I have yet to find a place that has the same quirky, lovable ambiance as nummit. Plus, where else can you get a (not so) basic grilled cheese?
3. The Honor Code
Me- Gets up to go to the bathroom in Starbucks
Me- Looks at my backpack and all my things spread across the table
Me- Looks around at the nice looking people in the Starbucks who are oblivious to my internal struggle
Me- ‘I doubt anyone would take my bag… but there isn’t an honor code here’
Me- *really dramatic internal sight*
Me- packs up everything to take with me
I know that it isn’t uncommon for college students to trustingly leave their stuff out in the open, but at Davidson, I always knew my stuff would be right where I left it. It was so nice to be able to trust other students, who may be complete strangers because we are all bound by a code that we believe in and live by. It’s a shock to go back home in the summer and remember that the rest of the world doesn’t uphold the honor code the way the students do at Davidson.
4. Commons
At this point, you might be thinking “Wait…didn’t she list eating at commons as something she wouldn’t miss?”
Yes, but hear me out on this one. Commons food can be…less than pleasing at times, but coming home made me realize how nice it is to not cook for every single meal. Eating there is so easy. You just swipe in, and then you can eat. Although it doesn’t always seem like it, there are a lot of options between the hotline, chef du jour, grill, pizza and sandwich stations, and salad bar. And if you really don’t want to eat anything from those, there is always the cereal bar and waffle station. Breakfast for dinner? Yes, please.
So, no. I am not going to miss eating at Commons every single day. I am going to miss the convenience of eating there, and I do suppose it’s possible I might miss chicken parm day a tiny bit.
5. The Power of the Catcard
On campus, your Catcard does everything for you. It’s like your key, credit card, and drivers license all wrapped into one. When you go home, you realize that there is no Catcard for the real world. There is no such thing as late night access to the gym. It can’t help you when you are locked out of your house because you forgot your keys (again). No way anyone will let you use it to pay for your food. It definitely doesn’t count as a valid form of ID anywhere outside of the small radius of campus.
I’m sorry, did you just say I have to use cash to get a drink out of this vending machine? I can’t use dining dollars? What is this madness?
6. Your friends
You knew you were going to miss them. You just didn’t realize how much. It was bearable at first, but as weeks go by it starts to feel like a little piece of yourself is located in a completely different state halfway across the U.S. So you revert to texting them whenever something happens that reminds you of your one of your many inside jokes (which is constant), incessantly sending each other cute animal videos, and posting Buzzfeed quizzes and funny articles on each other’s Facebook timelines. Your friends from home are wonderful, and seeing them and how they have changed this year is fantastic. You missed your family so much while you were away, and being home and sleeping in your own bed feels like heaven. However, you are secretly (or not so secretly) counting down the days till you get to go back to Davidson and see all your incredible friends again.
