Surviving sixteen weeks of classes - check.
Passing (most) of my finals- check.
Reselling seven, overpriced textbooks for at least 25% of what I paid- check.
Buying (or at least thinking about) all of the presents that I don't really have money for- check.
Packing up my apartment and finally bringing home my shorts and flip-flops- check and check.
IT MUST BE TIME FOR WINTER BREAK.
Whether this was your first semester or last at college, coming home for winter break will be a strange adjustment. You have grown accustomed to no parents, no siblings, making your own schedule, eating whatever you want, and no rules. No matter if you spent most of the semester in the library or in basement parties, the return home will be a shock.
You may have just come home for Thanksgiving break; however, that was most likely for a week at the most. You were still in the "Honeymoon" phase of getting home-cooked meals, (mom) doing your wash for free, and seeing all of your friends from high school. This break will be different, especially since you will be home for a month.
During the first week that you are home, you will have to find a place for your clothes and belongings. I find it very strange to live out of a duffel bag in my own bedroom, however, it has to be done sometimes. You will notice that your room has been rearranged or the bed has been made a certain way...things have definitely been adjusted since you were last in the room. Oddly enough, a lot of things have not changed. As you unpack from your seventh semester at school, you notice the pictures around your room of your preteen phase and of friends whom you are no longer as connected. You notice the abundance of high school memorabilia stuffed into drawers and in the bottom of your closet. You reminisce about how much has changed during the time since your bedroom was home to the person in the pictures. You find yearbooks and notebooks with your crushes initials written in between the elements of the Periodic Table. Then you find the photo albums from all of the Sweet Sixteen parties and think about how every weekend of Sophomore year was dedicated to either shopping for a dress and present or attending another party. There are so many great memories in this room, but you still feel like a visitor or an intruder to your younger self.
While you are home, you think that you must fill your calendar with Applebee's visits and outings during each spare second that you have with your friends. If this is your first break, then yes, that will most likely be a reality. However, with each winter break, students realize how much Netflix and nap time is also needed in order to recoup and prepare for the next semester. Make sure that your binge-watching of "Shameless" does not interfere with your social life, because you really don't want to feel like Debbie and not have any friends to invite to your birthday party. You will find that seeing your friends, family, and having personal time is a tricky balance, however, a necessity.
Once the holidays are over, and the first week of January is upon us, things start to really change. Many schools begin the spring semester during the week after New Year's, and all of your friends return to their respective schools or states. By the second week in January, you will be ready to pack up your bags, and return to your life at school. Remember to enjoy the time that you have at home, and take in as much free food as you can.
Enjoy your winter break, students! You definitely deserve it!
