For those students who will be returning home for at least part of the summer, there are some things to take into consideration after you hug your friends goodbye and begin your journey back. The first summer break home for any college freshman can be heartwarming, nostalgic, or even eye-opening. However, there are many changes that you have undergone as a Notre Dame student, and your societal norms and expectations may have become a little more Irish than you expected. Here are some things to look out for on those first few initial trips back:
The Big Kahuna
Let freedom ring like the bells at the Basilica, until you leave said Basilica. Returning home means the return of a curfew, at least for quite a few students. Parietals have changed their name and this time you can’t sneak home at 3am without your rector noticing – your dorm has shrunk and your expectation of timeliness has increased. And you may have trouble leaving the house without telling your parents your whereabouts. Don’t be too snarky. Just remind yourself that while your roommate may have been chill with you taking off at 10pm and coming back at 2am, he/she didn’t give birth to you. Try to understand that it’s a blessing to have people care where you are 24/7, even though the shift from college may feel stark.
The Dining
Dropping your food and plates becomes a much less exciting experience. No more applauding and hooting for you, Fumbling Irish. I am one of you, and I am sad to say that a broken dish or two at home is not rewarded with the same enthusiasm when you make spaghetti art leaving the Jesus table in South Dining Hall.
Eating cake for breakfast (and/or lunch and/or dinner) becomes socially unacceptable again. As ugly as this truth is, I have to admit most of you will having serious trouble locating fresh cheesecake and eating it without judgment upon waking up at home. While the option of eating your eggs and bacon with a side of apple pie can become as normalized as wearing ten layers to class, this is one social norm that does not always exist beyond Irish borders. Feel shame at your own risk.
This one is pretty obvious – but the magic tray revolvers disappear. Clean dishes don’t magically regenerate, and the behind-the-scenes fun of soap and sinks returns.
Daily Life
You can take a 2pm nap without being watched. The hustle and bustle of everyday Notre Dame life leads many kids to the unfortunate depths of sleep deprivation. I personally slept a total of 13 hours in my first three nights here. Learning to take time for yourself and your body is a hard but rewarding task, and one way students often go about this is public napping.
Public napping is extremely efficient and replenishing when done right, but the privacy of your own bed at home is unmatched. Unless you truly love drooling and snoring on 18 random peoples’ Snapchat My Story or getting that sweet quilted face tattoo from your jacket, you have to admit that private sleeping is quite a gem.
Domer Dollars disappear. Our fabulous game of Monopoly goes away and the non-Irish green and gold of actual currency comes into play. Trying to explain to your coffee shop back home that the Starbucks you usually go to accepts Domer Dollars doesn’t usually work either.
These little tidbits are just some things to keep in mind as you journey on back to your various locations. Enjoy the time home with your family and friends, and never take them for granted. Getting to where you want to be means paying respect to where you came from and the loved ones who shaped you. Safe travels, Irish
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