My first month at Ohio University is nearing an end, and between classes, extracurricular activities, and indulging at every restaurant on Court Street, I can honestly say that I have not felt homesick once. (Sorry, Mom and Dad!) I’m loving all of the newfound freedoms that my collegiate status has brought me, but I’ve come to realize I had plenty of perks at home that I miss more than I miss my nine-month-old puppy. Here are the top ten luxuries that I shouldn’t have taken for granted before I left for college:
1. Free textbooks…
In college, we can count on free stickers and pens being handed out left and right to promote various organizations. Textbooks? Not so much. High schoolers, put a paper bag cover on your math book and cherish its freeness— this fiscal freedom won’t last forever.
2. …and free laundry
Gone are the days of tossing my garments in the hamper and having them magically return to my room, clean. I’d rather not fork over $3 just to get my clothing smelling fresher than a spring breeze, but unfortunately not doing my laundry is probably not a viable option.
3. Living near a Target
The Boyd Market doesn’t always cut it when I need shampoo, Nutella, a new dress, nail polish… ya know what? Nevermind. I just realized that I have to spend all of that money on another textbook, anyway.
4. Personal space
Whether I’m eating, studying or brushing my teeth, one of my favorite aspects of college is being able to spend all day surrounded by friends. However, on that rare occasion when I’m alone in my dorm room, I can usually be found sprawled out on my bed listening to the soothing sounds of my neighbors’ routine ruckus and longing for the comfort of my queen-sized bed.
5. Not having to walk five miles to get to the bathroom
Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit on this one. But when I wake up in the middle of the night and have to go to the bathroom, the trek down the blindingly-lit hallway is a literal wakeup call to the comfortable life I led at home.
6. Adequate showering conditions
Which include, but are not limited to: continuous warm water, not having to duck to rinse my hair, not having to worry about contracting a strange disease after my arm brushes against the shower wall, and being able to stand barefoot. That being said, the nice dose of early-morning yoga while trying to shave my legs is always pleasant pick-me-up.
7. Purified water
There’s nothing more inconvenient than going to refill my water bottle only to realize that our water pitcher is empty. More than likely, the person who used the last of our purified water supply was probably refilling our ice cube trays— another factor of my collegiate lifestyle that was nonexistent at home. I have yet to determine which is the lesser of two evils in this situation: enduring dehydration or risking the germs lingering on the drinking fountain.
8. A dishwasher
Besides a water and ice cube dispensing refrigerator, another vital kitchen appliance missing in our dorm room is a dish washer. Loading the dish washer at home seems like a glamorous pastime compared to the dry hands and moderately clean utensils that result from hand-washing my dishes in the bathroom sink.
9. Air conditioning
After spending the day trekking up and down Jeff Hill and Morton Hill, it’s always such a delight being greeted by a refreshing gust of warm air upon returning home. The perpetual sweat creates the illusion that I’ve spent the afternoon at the gym, which totally counts as working out, right?
10. Having a sport to keep me fit
Not going to lie, I spent a decent portion of my final swim season counting down the days until I could kick back, relax, and enjoy the lackadaisical lifestyle that non-athletes get to experience. However, now that I don’t have a strict workout schedule to abide by, I’m quickly realizing that I’ve gone from swimming 3,500 yards a day to gaining 3,500 pounds. Despite the wide range of fun workout classes offered at our recreation center, unfortunately, I no longer have a coach pressuring me to wake up and work out every morning.
These ten inconveniences are trivial compared to the scores of new opportunities that I’ve gotten to experience so far at Ohio University. Here’s to many more excellent memories as a Bobcat!
All GIFs: giphy.com