With a semester of college under our belts, it feels so great to be able to have time off to come home and regroup before heading back to school after break. With school calendars ranging from a week to a month of vacation, every student gets a chance to get away from the stress of learning and relax in their own homes. However, as the new year rolls in, we're once again packing up and saying goodbye as we head back to our college campuses. We may be excited to be going back and seeing friends and learning in new classes, but there's also a sadness that comes with leaving home for the second time. Here are the top reasons going back to college after winter break is the hardest.
1. Saying goodbye to friends from home... again
After weeks of being back together, we've fallen into our routines with our friends. We've all been apart for so long that the reunion over Christmas felt so good. It seemed never ending as we picked up right where we left—parties, usual hang outs, dinners and sleep overs. Now, we once again have to leave it all behind in our hometowns and part with promises of weekly FaceTime dates and phone calls.
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2. No more comforts of home
Goodbye, showers without flip flops; goodbye bed with memory foam mattress and fleece sheets; so long, room without a roommate to deal with. We'll miss your silence and cleanliness. Adios, pantry constantly stocked with food, and freezer filled with ice-cream (that no one else can steal). We'll crave our houses and the simple pleasures that come with them as we sit in our 10x10 foot dorms for the next four months.
3. Telling your pets you're not coming back for four months
When we said goodbye to our pets last time, it was heartbreaking. Then, when Christmas came and we saw them for the first time in weeks, they went nuts and we almost wanted to promise them we'd never leave again. But alas, it's time to go back and we have to convince our pets that we're not abandoning them, but we'll be back soon. Good luck having that conversation without crying.
4. The dreaded learning begins again
It's been blissful not having to do any schoolwork for weeks. We haven't looked at syllabi, studied or taken notes, and it's felt so good. Once we go back to college, we'll have to get back into the groove of going to class, getting good grades and staying up late cramming for tests.
5. You're on your own once more
For some, going back to being independent may sound like a great thing. On the other hand, having to go back to being an adult and taking care of everything yourself is going to be tough. No more "Mom, can you do this for me?" or "Dad, can I have $20?" We're back to surviving on dining hall food and buying our own groceries and toiletries when we need them.
Over all, going back to school is going to be great, but leaving our comfortable routines once again is going to be one of the hardest things students will have to do. All we can do to get through the next few months is pray for spring break, and maybe, just maybe, we'll get through the pressures of college once again.
