As a freshman, being home for break is all you dream of during the fall semester. Months of showering with flip flops, eating unseasoned food, and sleeping at 3 a.m. to wake up at 7 a.m. (if at all) has made you miss the comforts at home. Winter break is filled with fun times and cheer and until you realize how much your lifestyle has changed while you were away at college.
1. Your sleep schedule is completely screwed
You have no exam to study for, no assignment due at 11:59 p.m., and yet here you are at 3 a.m. still awake. Not catching up on all that sleep you missed because college has beaten your sleep schedule down to the point where it doesn’t exist anymore. Then you find yourself waking up at 1 pm and missing most of the day.
2. Your parents are still parenting
Being away at college with little adult supervision (because hello, we are the adults) has its perks. For instance, coming home whenever you want. For some people that is put to a complete stop and you feel a little imprisoned and are sometimes inclined to laugh at your parents when confronted about it.
3. You eat CONSTANTLY
Every time I visited home for the weekend throughout the semester, my parents made a whole meal for me to take back to campus. Now that you’re home you’ve been eating their food for too long. While you were missed, your appetite sure wasn’t.
4. You miss the peace
If you have younger siblings like I do, you never really realized how loud your house is until you’ve experienced actual silence. When you come back to that after all that peace, headaches are an everyday thing. On campus there was always somewhere you could go to get some peace. At home? No such thing.
5. People expect you to do things
You're once again expected to wash dishes and uphold the other household duties you used to do that were passed on to someone else in your absence. Winter break in college is also nothing like winter break in high school. In high school, you only get about a week off and you have work due when you come back. In college, you get close to a month of an actual vacation where you don't have work due when you come back because the semester is starting with a blank slate. So, what do you do with all that time? Your parents sure have a lot of suggestions for that.
6. Those annoying siblings again
No matter how much mom and dad claim your siblings missed you, they’re still as annoying as ever and you still sometimes toy with the idea that either they or you are adopted.
7. Nothing is the same
Your room has been toyed with and you knew it before you even walked through the door. You might not even have a room anymore but, your mom certainly has that playroom she’s always wanted to stuff the kids’ toys in.
8. Living like a hobo
You’re practically gonna live out of your suitcase for close to a month. Unpacking doesn’t seem too appealing when you’ve brought everything you could possibly need from campus.
9. No privacy
You get absolutely no privacy. Sharing a room on campus might not be the ideal situation but it certainly beats having your own room at home and a door that no one pays attention to. Everyone is constantly checking up wanting to know what you're doing at all hours. It's no wonder college kids are barely home while on break.
10. The return is sweet
Though you didn’t miss all the work and sleepless nights, you are happy to be going back to campus next semester.
11. All is right again
Although your parents (yours, not mine) would never admit it, they’re happy you’re going back too even though they’re gonna miss you all over again.
