The end of the semester calls for finals and a crowded library. As the days to break become closer, campus starts to empty out. Before you know it, you are back in your home in the company of your parents. Just like that, it’s as if college has been put on pause. However, this 3 ½ week vacation calls for lots of rest and relaxation, with some time to reflect. Here are 5 things I realized during break.

1. Every dorm room is infested with some kind of germ.
2. You walk triple the amount of steps at school rather than home.
3. You know where every library is at school, but not at home.
4. There is ALWAYS something to do at school.
5. You count down the days until you can go back.

No matter how many tubs of Lysol wipes you purchase, there still seems to be germs everywhere. Even if you vacuum the day before, there will be hairballs on the floor the next day. You wake up every morning with this stuffy feeling, which MUST be caused by the germs in your dorm room. You have a cough that lingers forever. However, as soon as you get home, the stuffy feeling goes away and the cough disappears. Coincidence? I think not!

Since we are freshmen, having a car on campus is a rarity. The bus system is a nightmare to figure out. So, why not trust your feet to transport you to and from class? However, what I failed to realize is that at school I truly walk EVERYWHERE.

When home, I have my car or my parents to take me places. Plus, most places are too far to walk to. Home is the place where I can crash on the sofa and give my feet a rest.

At home, I do not even come close to approaching a library. Frankly, I would have to Google “libraries near me” to find a study place. The quietest studying I ever did was in the confines of my room.

However, at school, I know the placement of every library like the back of my hand. I even know what food/drink places are located in each library or near them.

When at school, it is almost expected to receive a text that an event is happening or that people are going to Midtown. It is easy to decline the offer if you have too much work because you know that something else will always be happening the next night. However, home is a different scene.

The reality that something really fun occurs without it being shut down is hard to come by. When you receive the text that a party is happening, you feel as if you need to drop everything to make a presence.

Although you are only home for 3 ½ weeks, you cannot help but text your friends 24/7. You even feel the need to FaceTime them when you are doing such trivial things such as making lunch or picking out an outfit.

You talk about the excitement you have for sylly week and for the moment you get to all be together again. It is truly reassuring to have created an environment that you cannot wait to return to. SYAF!