For us perpetually busy Duke students, school breaks are a welcome respite from the crazy whirlwind that is college. You get to relax, be reunited with family and friends, and finally shower without wearing flip-flops. What’s not to love? For all you freshmen who aren’t totally sure what to expect on your first return home, here are some tips to make the most of your time off.
Plan ahead. Sadly, professors don’t stop giving out work just because it’s break. Figure out ahead of time what you need to do over break and start working on it in advance, or bring some work to do on the flight home. Whenever you’re tempted to procrastinate, just think about how miserable you’ll be if you end up spending your vacation stuck in your room writing a paper.
Make time for family. This seems obvious, but it’s worth saying anyway. You leaving home has been just as hard on them as it is on you, and if you end up ditching them to party with your friends, they’ll be disappointed and you’ll miss out on some quality family bonding. Even if you don’t want to admit it, you know you’ve missed your family, so plan some fun activities with them or just spend time hanging out at home.
Eat! I don’t care if you have a formal coming up or you’re worried about the Freshman 15, now is so not the time to start a diet. College food gets old fast, so take this opportunity to chow down on all the food you’ve missed from home – whether it’s your parents’ cooking, the local diner you and your friends used to go to all the time in high school, or just your favorite drink from Starbucks. It won’t be long until you’re back to the world food points and Marketplace pizza, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Be honest with your friends. This is a big one. Maybe you’ve had an awesome time at college so far, but chances are you’re not 100% over the moon happy with everything. But when someone asks you how it’s going, the automatic response is to start gushing about how much fun you’re having and how much you just love everything about your school. Sometimes this is okay – you don’t want to start venting about your roommate problems and boy drama to every acquaintance you bump into at the grocery store – but it’s always better to be real with your friends. Don’t feel pressured to tell them everything’s fine when it isn’t, because they’re probably having a lot of the same problems adjusting as you are. You’ll feel better once you realize you’re not alone, plus it always helps to have someone to talk to – and who knows, they might even have some helpful advice.
Don’t stress. Don’t forget this is a vacation, and above all you’re supposed to be relaxing and enjoying yourself! Get some sleep, play with your dog, spend time with the people you love and don’t waste your time worrying about whatever you have to do when you get back. Most importantly, have fun!