Perhaps one of the weirdest things about college is the transitions. Going back to school and leaving school are both very different, yet very strange changes that only those who have lived on campus will understand.
When you come back to campus from a long break, particularly summer break, everything is a little off. You realize that you have to walk to places to get food or print stuff out and you realize that you have to be independent again when it comes to getting school work done or doing laundry. You start to miss the simplicity of having food prepared by parents and having your laundry done by someone else. You're essentially alone at college, too. Yeah, you have your college friends, but chances are they won't be breathing down your neck every second, which makes it weird when you have so much down time to do work or rest. You miss your family and miss feeling like yourself, because let's face it, we all act one way around our family, but act completely different around those who aren't in our family. Essentially, you can't unravel as much when you go back to college, unless you're really close with your friends. Maybe one of the worst things about coming back is how fast professors jump down your throat. Getting the syllabus a week before classes is one of the worst things because it brings the stress on and it can be hard to get back in the work groove regardless of having a summer job.
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However, as I mentioned before, coming home from a semester can be just as weird. When you come home for the summer, you find that you don't really know what to do. You're home, but it hasn't really sunk in yet that you're not just home for the weekend. You feel the need to immediately do something because you were so use to hanging out with friends or prepping for exams. When there is silence at home and not something immediately required of you, it throws you off because the change in pace is surprising. You also feel that a ton of people want to talk to you, which isn't bad, but is different from having time for yourself at college where everyone isn't breathing down your neck. It takes a few days to get back into a comfortable sleep pattern, too. I personally found that I wake up early when I just get back home for the summer because some of my classes were early or because my roommates were noisy. It's frustrating because you want to sleep in, but your body is use to getting up at certain times. Additionally, there is also the added pressure of immediately starting a summer job or internship. Getting used to a new schedule and commute can be a pain in the ass, especially if you've had some down time at school after finals were finished. Both going back home or to school are changes that students need time getting used to.
Is there one better transition than another? Maybe for me coming home is better than going back because I can relax for the most part, but both transitions throw me off and really mess with me. However, despite some of the negatives I mentioned about both transitions, I do enjoy my college experience and feel that these "tests" in changing my surroundings strengthen me for the future when I move out of my parents' house or when I switch to different jobs or locations. These transitions are annoying, but ultimately help out in the end.
