I’ve been home for over two months now, and let me just say: I absolutely cannot wait to get back on campus.
Sure, summer is great with having fewer responsibilities, not having to think about countless assignments piling up, and being able to lay out in the sun for hours.
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But I am bored out of my mind.
Yes, I have a job, I have a boyfriend, I have my friends, I have my family. What I don’t have is the mental stimulation of learning new things every day. I don’t have my social hammock of comfort. All my friends are three or more hours away.
I don’t have events or meetings or activities to attend nearly every evening. I don’t have my sorority sisters to surround me with advice, laughter and fun times whenever I want. I don’t have the freedom to do whatever I want without telling anyone where I’m going or when I’ll be home.
College is so fun. Sometimes you want to curl up in a ball and not see anyone for at least three days, but most of the time you’re having a great time.
I don’t even really miss the partying. Yeah, it’s fun to go out with your friends on the weekends and drink but I’m more nostalgic about the whole college experience rather than getting wasted and waking up with a killer hangover.
I miss not being able to head to the student union if I was bored and seeing someone I know.
I miss feeling zero guilt from crawling into my bed at 3 p.m. and watching Friends in my pajamas because I’m done with classes for the day and I deserve a break.
I never thought I’d say I miss classes because 90% of the time they consume my life and make me consider dropping out of school, but I do.
College is such an enriching experience; unlike high school, the majority professors actually teach you things. You learn such interesting things in college because your professors are so intelligent.
High school teaches you the basics and gives a thin layer of what impression college leaves. Even in my entry-level gen. ed. classes, I learned interesting and thought-provoking lessons. College is such a cool way to learn because you’re gaining wisdom and skills from intellectual people.
I really miss the gym. Having a gym right on campus where I can go to relieve stress or just feel healthy was something I never realized I would appreciate so much.
I miss not having dinner with my friends every night and having breakfast with myself every morning.
Simply managing my own life, my own time is such a leisure. I can make my own decisions and be free to do what I want. While I don’t necessarily not have that at home, there are just fewer opportunities to take advantage of managing myself.
On campus, there is always something to do and there’s always someone willing to do things with you.
So these are the reasons why I am so excited that there are only 41 short but painfully long days until I move back into a 10 X 15 ft. room. 41 more days until I am back to eating good old Sodexo dining hall food and staying up until 1 AM because my group didn't do their portion of the project.
College is my home away from home and my own personal freedom. It's my social safety net and something that stimulates my mind. I am happy and busy when I'm involved in things on campus and I can't wait to get back to it.
