Despite the amount of internship applications you sent out and your outstanding efforts to find something (anything!) to do with your summer, it’s time to face the truth: you’ll be staying home until school starts up again in the fall. Although you may feel frustrated, Her Campus is here to let you know that it’s not the end of the world—and why being home for the summer is actually pretty awesome.
1. It’s less expensive
If you were taking an internship for school credit, chances are that you wouldn’t be getting paid; in fact, on top of not receiving compensation, you’d actually be paying for the school credits you’d earn from that internship. That means you’d be in the red from the start… especially when you factor in the cost of housing, food, and living expenses in general. And even if you were lucky enough to score a paid internship, you’ll still have to pay those living expenses! While living in your parents’ house may make you feel like you’re in high school again, at least you’ll be saving money. Since you probably don’t have to pay rent or cover the costs of food and utilities, you’ll be saving loads of money just by settling down in your old bedroom until the start of the fall semester.
2. You can relax
After the brutal hours you spent cramming for finals week, you’ve definitely earned a little R&R. Thankfully, once you’re back at home, you’ll have ample time to spend in your comfiest (and therefore least attractive—hey, there aren’t any frat boys around to impress!) pajamas, catching up on the last few seasons of Parks and Recreation on Netflix, or reading for leisure for once. You can lay out outside, go for long runs, scroll through Pinterest for hours—whatever you wish you had more time to do at school!
3. You can make money
As we already mentioned, internships can be expensive. Often collegiettes find themselves taking on a part-time job in addition to their internship just to make ends meet. However, since you aren’t spending any money on your living arrangements, if you decide to get a job, you’ll just be increasing the amount in your checking account!
If you had a part-time or summer position when you were in high school, try checking in with your old boss to see if they’re looking for seasonal employees. You can also check out craigslist postings for your area to see if anyone is looking for someone to nanny, waitress, or do any other jobs you might be suited for. After a few days spent watching Netflix in your pajamas, chances are you’ll be itching to get out of the house and do something productive, anyway!
4. You already know all the good spots in town
One of the hardest parts of interning or working in a new city over the summer is a total lack of knowledge of the area you’re living in. Where’s the best place to go for a cup of coffee? Where should you go for drinks with friends?
Thankfully, if you’re staying at home for the summer, you already know all of the best places in town to go for these things and more. Staying home for the summer offers you the chance to go to all of your old favorite spots. If there’s a certain restaurant you miss or crave while you’re away at school, this is your chance to refuel your addiction!
5. You can catch up with old friends
Making friends in a new place can be a daunting task—and it’s one that you’d be faced with if you were making the move to a new city for a job or internship this summer.
Luckily, if you’re staying at home and some of your high school friends are, too, you don’t have to worry about that freshman year feeling of, “how on earth should I go about meeting new people here?!” Since you already have friends where you are, you’ll already be one step ahead of the game!
6. There’s real food
After a semester of living off of your meal plan, chances are you’ve forgotten what a home-cooked meal actually tastes like. Heck, even if you had your own apartment and you and your roommates enjoyed cooking dinner for yourselves, simply not having to worry about buying groceries and cooking your own meals will feel like a huge weight lifted off of your shoulders. Prepare your taste buds for all of those meals you loved to eat as a child!
7. You can pick up a new skill or hobby
Since you’ll have more free time than you would if you were interning or working full time, you can finally spend time learning something you’ve wanted to try for a while but haven’t had the time or energy to actually do it.
Whether you’re looking to take piano lessons, try hot yoga, become a runner, or learn French, a summer at home is the ideal time to expand your horizons and try something that you might not have the chance to do in another setting.
8. You can be around whatever you get homesick for
Whether you want to admit it or not, there’s something that tugs at your heartstrings from your hometown while you’re away at school. It could be licks on the nose from your family puppy, your mom’s delicious mashed potatoes, or the comfort of your own bedroom—whatever it is that you miss about home while you’re away is waiting for you, and will be around for your personal enjoyment all summer long.
Though the beginning of your summer may be tinted green with envy of your friends as they jet off to New York, D.C., or wherever their internships are located, just remember all of the awesome opportunities that staying home for the summer presents you with. It’s not just “not the end of the world”—it’s actually pretty convenient!