After your first year of college away from home, coming back to your hometown may seem like the best thing ever. Finally, you're done with classes and back to the normal life you lived before all the madness. However, if you love your college and had an amazing freshman year like I did, coming home after that awesome first year comes with a few struggles, having you wishing you were back at school.
1. Having your parents question what you're doing.
At school, you weren't used to your parents texting you constantly, asking where you are and what you're doing, and when you'll be home. Strolling in at 5 a.m. is simply not an option anymore back at your house.
2. You actually have to put in an effort to find something to do.
You can't bank on fraternities to throw multiple parties every week anymore. In college, all you had to do was show up, but at home, you have to make specific plans to find anything to do in your small town.
3. Your best friends are hours away.
Sure, it's great that the friends you grew up with are at home for the most part, but your best friends from college are nowhere near you. Some of your hometown friends that you banked on hanging out with are starting real life things, like internships, or full-time jobs, or studying abroad, and you're stuck at home feeling very bored.
4. You're living back at home again.
At school, you probably had a roommate, but at least you finally had a small amount of space to call your own. At home, you're under your parents' roof, which comes with multiple rules and tons of interruptions.
5. Any appointments you needed to have are squeezed into a few short months.
In just a couple of weeks, you've seen the dentist, your eye doctor, gotten a checkup, and more, making up for the year you went without appointments.
6. The awkward conversations you'll be forced to have when you run into people from high school.
"Oh my god, it's so good to see you! How was your freshman year? Awesome! Mine was great too!" is a conversation you will be repeating, over and over again.
7. Finding a job.
If you don't have a job lined up from high school, it's incredibly difficult to find a job to make some spending money for the following year when you're only home for the summer.
8. Spending all your time working at that job.
You've gotta save for your sophomore year, and that means working all summer long.
9. Preparing to be asked the same questions by every adult.
Be prepared to be bombarded with questions about your year, your grades, your job, your plans for the future, etc.