It’s that time of the year; the bittersweet transition from life at Eckerd to home has come, and let me tell you, this transition isn’t always a piece of cake. If you’re like me, it’s extremely hard to leave a life of staying out all night, controlling my own schedule, not needing to worry about my parents and having my best friends 20 feet away from me at all times, only to enter a typically low key environment controlled by my nagging, questioning parents. So how can we make this transition a positive one? Well, Her Campus has come to your rescue! Here are a few ideas:
“Make Contact with your friends from home early” –Cori Linville, senior
The transition will be much smoother if you have your friends by your side. However, this isn’t always easy due to summer internships, summer jobs, summer abroad programs, family vacations etc. There’s no guarantee that you’re friends will be around this summer like they were in high school. It can be helpful to start making contact with high school friends even before your school year is over. That way, you will have an idea who will be home and available to spend their summer with you.
“Keep in touch with your friends from school” –Jessica Wright, senior
We’re all used to having our friends around us 24/7; so it can be strange to go to an environment where you are alone the majority of the time and have to make an effort to see people. While you are adjusting and making plans with friends from home, it can be helpful to stay in touch with friends from college also. These friends are probably going through the same transition and probably miss you terribly. You can bond over mutual bittersweet feelings about being home, which can help make the transition easier and keep your friendships strong for when you return after summer.
“Establish a new rule system with your parents…if possible!” –Emily Bednar, junior
This one may be hard because we all know it takes some work to get your parents to budge, but if successful, this can dramatically help the transition home. While living at school, we are in charge of ourselves. Any rules set forth were set forth by us. Now, we have to adjust to our parents’ rules, which could include curfews, no short dresses, no alcohol in the house, a note left telling them where you are, who you are with, what time you’ll be home and the contact information of the person you are with (cringe)…do I need to keep going? The best way to combat this one is to actually sit down with your parents and explain what rules you believe should and should not be in place over the summer. Explain to them how you’re lifestyle has changed, and how you will feel if the rules you abided by in high school were still in place now. You may find that your parents understand (they were college kids once too) and some compromising may be in order!
In essence, the transition can be difficult no matter what precautions you take. But by planning ahead, you can be in a position to take this transition head on! Remember the main focus points listed above and stay busy EC! Summer’s a great time to be outdoors, relax, make some extra cash and catch up with old friends. Good Luck collegiettes™! We’re in this together!