Going back to college after Thanksgiving break can be one of the hardest points of the year. For some, it’s their first time leaving home again since moving out after summer break. Personally, I’m always sent back to my 17-year-old high school self.
Though traveling between my small, suburban hometown to a large city for college helps me appreciate the beauty in both, leaving the house I grew up in, my family, and the friends that I experienced life with is tiring. Having to repeatedly experience that can become overwhelming.
This feeling is made 10 times harder when you consider that my entire friend group went to colleges in-state mere miles apart, while I’m 500 miles away. The feeling of FOMO stings, but the guilt of leaving them aches too.
I love my big city life and all the adventure that come with it, but I also love being able to go for a long walk in the stillness of the trees in my hometown. Both of these places serve different purposes in my life, and sometimes being in one feels like putting on shoes that are a tad too tight. They’re amazing when they fit, but when they don’t feel right, you can’t force it.
Some of the anxiety about going back to school for the last stretch of the semester stems from the fact that students can never seem to take a breath during that time. In theory, the weeks between Thanksgiving break and winter break should be easy, but in practice, it feels like every professor wants to get in one final group assignment or laborious task right after midterms and before finals.
Returning to an overwhelming city after spending a week in my secluded town is an adjustment. The thought of all the assignments waiting for students when we get back makes it difficult to actually enjoy our break. We worry over the future rather than living in the present.
While this feeling isn’t great, it has taught me how to balance home and school. If I can avoid it, I never do work when I’m at home and I never, ever do homework in my college dorm room. This separation helps with anxiety, as I no longer associate my home space with working.
I know that we’ll be able to get through the sprint At the end of the semester with just one final push.
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