There comes a time in every Penn State collegiette’s career when she is evicted from her dorm room or apartment in the beautiful town of State College, Pa., and forced to reside—once more—in an area where unforgettable (and intentionally repressed) high school memories were formulated. Stress, stress, stress before the holidays, and now it’s finally time to kick back, relax, and do, well, nothing.
Home, sweet home.
For most, winter break can’t come soon enough after a dreadful week of final exams, papers, and all-nighters. You arrive at your festively decorated home and every member of your family is ecstatic to see you; you’re showered with affection. Holiday music is sounding, the fire is blazing, and you can smell your favorite dinner being prepared in the kitchen. “This isn’t so bad,” you think to yourself, “I’ve really missed this place.”
Fast forward approximately 48 hours, maybe less. And now it’s all too easy to recall precisely why you were racing to get the heck out of this town in the first place.
Your mom won’t stop bugging you about how unproductive it is watching Crazy, Stupid, Love on repeat (Ryan Gosling is shirtless, hello!), you spot your ex-boyfriend holding hands with “Lip Liner Lisa”, the high school senior whose dad invented Toaster Strudel, and if you catch your little sister rifling through your closet one more time you’re going to staple her fingers together and swap her shampoo for super glue.
Home, sweet home.
Fear not, young fashionista. There are ways to deal with all of the minor setbacks winter break might present to you. Follow the Her Campus guide to winter break setbacks, and you’re guaranteed to make it out alive (no staples, super glue, or lip liner required).
Scenario 1: That unexpected encounter with your ex-boyfriend/ ex-fling
We’ve all been here. You go away to college and find yourself fishing out of a whole new babe pool. Life is good; you don’t even think about your silly high school fling. Then you come home and spot him once. Your stomach drops, and you realize that your college fishing has provided you with nothing but a dead goldfish in a bowl. Maybe you and your old fling had something passionate, maybe not. And maybe at some point you will end up back together. But for now, there is one thing you need to do: play it cool. As much as it might hurt inside to see him, the last thing you want to do is let him know this. It will give him power that he probably doesn’t deserve. Don’t call him late at night. Don’t drunk text him. Don’t tell him that you’ve realized you’re not over him. You are now leading entirely separate lives, and if he wants to talk then he will initiate it. If not, there are so many other cuties out there. After all, there’s a reason you broke up in the first place, right?
Scenario 2: Your parents are trying to instill a curfew (or another annoying rule)
Mom, Dad… I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT NOW. There is nothing more frustrating than coming home from college and having to adjust to the rules you were accustomed to in high school. Sometimes parents don’t understand that you have so much freedom in college–and are responsible with it– and should have the same freedom back home. It can be extremely easy to freak out on your parents and throw a temper tantrum slamming doors and exclaiming how much “they are ruining your life.” But realistically, that won’t get you anywhere. In fact, that will only further their notion that you have some maturing to do. Instead, sit them down and explain to them how your curfew or household rules should be negotiated. Take note to all the positive things you have accomplished recently, and elucidate that you are becoming an adult and deserve to be treated as one. You’re not going to get everything you want, however, if you go into the situation prepared to compromise, your parents likely will as well.
Scenario 3: The younger crowd is continually showing up at your parties
Ugh, high schoolers. They’re so last year. You have your core group of friends, and everything was just fine without the new additions. But now these young teenagers stroll into your parties as if they run them, and it seems like everyone else is okay with it (especially your guy friends). To make matters worse, the chicken-legged broads look just like you did… before the freshman 15 went straight to your thighs. As frustrating as it is, and as tempting as it might be to call them all out, doing so is not in your best interest. Causing a scene or telling them to leave will only make you look insecure. Be the bigger (figuratively) person, and attempt to befriend them. They will probably be surprised and excited that an older girl wants to Instagram a picture with them or mention them in a tweet. Who knows, they could end up being kind of cool. In, like, a weird, high schooler kind of way, of course.
Scenario 4: Your best friend(s) have changed… for the worse
One unfortunate thing about college is that it has a tendency to change people. Often times, the change is for the better; but sometimes, it’s for the worse. And when that change for the worse captures one of your best friends, it can be exceptionally disheartening. Perhaps your friend joined the best sorority on campus, and now doesn’t talk about anything except her carb-free diet and gorgeous sister who dates James Franco’s cousin. Perhaps your friend got involved with the wrong crowd and is doing sketchy things that you could never imagine yourself becoming absorbed in. Whatever the case, it should be possible to find the friend you once knew inside of her newly-developed exterior. An intervention should do the trick. Gather several of your close friends and talk about it. Do not make any accusations or say anything that could offend your friend, just try to explain how you miss the old her. Sometimes change is permanent, and if after several attempts your friend is still not budging, it could be in everyone’s best interest to slowly drift apart from her. As long as you know who you are and what you stand for, you don’t need those in your life who contradict your ideals.