Summer 2016 is coming to an end! For some of us, it has been our longest summer break ever. It’s been filled with friends, family, vacation, and of course work. If you’re anything like me, I’m sure you spent many days working in order to make up for all of the money you spent during your first year of college. Besides working, hopefully you’ve been lucky enough to have down time to create some great memories. Something about living at home for the first time in a year brought a great deal of excitement. You’re back to sleeping in your own bed and staying in it all day if you wanted. You’re back to showering without shower shoes. You’re back to home-cooked meals from your parents. You’re back to suffocating your dog in snuggles. And you’re back to spending time with your friends in your hometown doing the stupid things you did before all of you went to college.

But now summer is winding down and we’re starting to get a bit homesick…from campus. If at this point you aren’t dying to go back to school, did you really pick the right school? Sure I will be crying and wishing it was still summer when I get an absurd amount of assignments dumped on me all at once. But still, after four months of no school-related responsibilities, even I feel ready to get back to dealing with schoolwork.

Aside from the heavy course load, the main reason we are all dying to go back is so we can be back with our friends. The separation is a struggle and the idea that there is one week holding you back from seeing everyone is a tease. You’re ready to be living in your own apartment with your best friends. You’re ready to begin a second year knowing you already have your core friend group established. You’re ready for all the fun and memories that you’ll be creating. There’s so much to look forward to as college sophomores and the excitement to get back and live the year makes us wish summer would just end now.

We also can’t forget one important factor of returning back to campus. I hope you’re just as excited as me… returning back to campus means it will soon be the return of Fall aka the best season EVER. Campus will be beautiful with the multicolored leaves and crisp fall air. Nothing beats this beautiful season that is associated with the return of the school year. So here I am with a week left of summer. A week left to enjoy my pool and get tan with the company of my friends. But I can’t help but want to be back at my beautiful campus with friends that have already practically turned to family. I’m ready to get back to my home away from home.