Going away to college means a world of freedom. You can go to bed whenever you want, there isn't a parental figure watching your every move, and hey, you can eat whatever you want. It's all fun and games until winter break or worse yet, summer break. While at school, you get into your own groove. Coming home means you get out of that groove, and you need to get back on your parent's schedules. That can be far from easy once you get a taste of independence.
Here are some problems you might run into when you are home on break.
1. Keeping your room clean:
No more waiting until you can't see the floor to clean your room. Your living room and kitchen are being used by your parents now, and that means everything needs to be cleaned and put back where you found it. Not only have you gotten into a grove, your parents have gotten used to not having you home. To many parents this means a nice clean house without laptop cords and shoes spread throughout the living room. Respect that it is their house, and essentially you don't live there anymore.
2. It is viewed as unacceptable to eat whenever you want:
That freshman 15 quickly turns into freshman 30 when there aren't any parental figures shaming you for eating a second, third and potentially fourth dinner before bed. But hey, it is nice having homemade food and not having to deal with the slop the dinning hall passes off for food. And better yet, chances are you won't have to pay for food and snacks!
3. Compromising on what to watch on TV:
No more watching Scandal for 20 hours each day. You have to watch what EVERYBODY wants to watch. At college you can binge watch Netflix to your hearts content. At home you are expected to "socialize" with your family and switch between watching Jeopardy! and a presidential debate. Good thing it brings back memories of a simpler time. One where you didn't have to worry about getting a job and paying back student loans.
4. No coming home at 2am:
You can do whatever you want up at college, you can see whoever you want, and most importantly you can come and go whenever you want. There's no coming home whenever you want when you're back to living at home. The worst part is: more than likely your parents will give you a curfew. It's important to remember that your parents care about you, and they just want to make sure you are safe.
5. Finding something to do:
It's hard to find something to do when you are on a college student budget and all of your high school friends are busy doing their own thing. At least on campus there is always something to do and always someone to be with. At home it gets mind-numbingly boring. It is oftentimes difficult to make plans with your friends from high school since they have different breaks than you do. But it is a lot of fun to go exploring and having fun with your parents.
Overall, it's hard to readjust to being back home, but it's worth it. Breaks are a wonderful time to decompress and spend time with your family. At the end of every semester, you'll remember how much you miss your home sweet home.
