I have moved back into my house since concluding my first year of college. As expected, the transition from total independence to a house (with my parents, two siblings, and five pets) has been a little rocky. There are things that you are so grateful to have again like a washing machine that you don't have to ride an elevator up, pray there is one available, and pay to use. Then there are some annoyances, both big and small, that drive you bonkers. Here are some struggles that I have experienced in my first three weeks back home.
Everything is 10 times louder
My family likes to listen to EVERYTHING really loudly. The TV is always playing a little too loud for my personal comfort threshold. My sister always has a bunch of 14-year-olds running around the house. My dog Riley is attempting to communicate with us even though we can't understand her.
Lots of sound makes me really overwhelmed. But, on the flip side, I am lucky to have a vibrant and lively household with people that can help me out when I absolutely need it.
My room is an absolute disaster
When you go to college, you try to bring what you can from home. But, for the most part, I had to buy all new stuff. This means your old stuff collides with your new stuff when you come back home. There's nowhere to actually put anything, so your room is a complete wreck. I mean, it's completely too overwhelming to put anything away. You have two options: designate a day to just do it and get er done or slowly tend to the chaos and stew in the filth.
No money, mo' problems
When you are a student like me who is paying for college by themselves, funds can get a little tight because all the loan money is practically gone. I am not the best budgeter, which is something I can definitely improve on.
Trying to find summer work
Because funds were getting tight, I went on the job search about a month before school ended. Finding work, in general, is pretty difficult because no one wants to just hire students for the summer — completely understandable — but extremely frustrating on the students end. Luckily, after applying to 11 jobs and only receiving two interviews, I got hired at one place. I had a job previously, but I don't receive many hours. I needed to supplement my income by picking up a second one.
Nonexistent sleep schedule
In college, I had a pretty strict sleep schedule — go to bed at midnight and wake up at 8 a.m. This kept me feeling more alert and productive during the day. Now that I am home, I am all out of whack. Once we settle into the summer, I'm sure I'll find my rhythm again.
Realizing the convenience of the dining hall center
Don't get me wrong, I was completely sick of the dining hall food. However, when you are at home, your food options are much more limited. You make yourself food, or you can hope that someone cooks for the whole family and hope it's something you like. Otherwise, you have to spend money to go out. Sometimes, I miss being able to walk down to grab a plate with hot fries, Chinese food, a salad, and some yogurt if I really wanted to.
Curfew isn't a thing, but there's that guilt of being out late
In high school, I always had a curfew. But now that I am an adult (technically speaking), I no longer have one. Still, when I am out with my friends late at night and it gets closer to midnight I still have that feeling that I am supposed to be home and that I am breaking the rules.
Missing your friends from college
Luckily, with the advances in technology, we can communicate with people all around the world faster than ever before. This makes keeping in touch with your new college friends pretty easy. But, it's still hard to be without your new buddies for a few months. Hopefully, with all the time we've spent apart, we will have lots of summer stories to share!
College has changed you
When you go away to college, things are going to change about you as an individual. You are going to learn new things, pick up new habits, and have discussions with new types of people. You will grow in ways you weren't expecting to. When you get back in the comfort of your own home, sometimes you will feel the urge to pick up old bad habits. On the opposite hand, you might try to bring up some new habits with your family that they will feel reluctant about. It is hard to navigate which version of yourself you want to be either way.
Knowing that you and your home friends will have to be apart again
Whenever I come home, I love getting together with my group of friends. It's so much fun to share stories and go on adventures together. I really miss them when I go off to school. I hope that we can make the most out of the time we have together this summer.
While readjusting to life at home can be stressful, I am very thankful that my parents still do let me stay at home and haven't kicked me out yet!
Have a great summer everyone and don't forget to be kind.
