When spring semester was drawing to a close, the overwhelming schoolwork and preparation for finals combined with the beautiful, taunting weather caused everyone to feel exhausted, strung out, and anxious to head home for the summer. Four months of relaxation sounded appealing and saying goodbye to the Dome for a little while didn’t seem like it would be that bad.
Domesickness was the last thing on our minds at that point but as soon as we arrived home, it was already beginning its cycle.
Stage One: Relief
After finishing all of our classes, exams, papers, and finals, we were all flooded with the relief that we made it through the year. It was time to spend time with family and friends at home, maybe go on a vacation or two, catch up on our Netflix and reading, and spend some time in the sun. The first few weeks of summer went by quickly as we tried to pack our schedules with activities because four months really didn’t seem like enough time to do all of the things we wanted to do.
Stage Two: Nostalgia
After spending some time with high school friends, you begin to realize that you’ve run out of things to talk about. They don’t know your college friends, can’t help you decide if that one boy is worth it or not just by looking at a picture, and you have a lot less in common now than you did in high school. Your family has started to drive you a little bit crazy, you finished a show on Netflix, you’ve already read twelve books, and somehow it’s only been about a month. This is when the nostalgia sets in: you start to miss your friends, your dorm, the Dome, football games, late night Reckers pizza, and the freedom that you have when you’re at school.
Stage Three: Boredom
Vacations have come and gone, the Fourth of July is over, you’ve now read twenty-seven books and watched another whole show on Netflix. All you do is go to work, sleep, eat, and maybe get a workout in here and there.
You’ve completely run out of things to do and find yourself refreshing your Twitter and Instagram feeds every five minutes. It’s a beautiful day but wait, you’re stuck inside working. Or you’re just too lazy to get up and go out into the world. You kind of even miss going to class because at least your brain is being stimulated and you’re learning something. Bored is an understatement.
Stage Four: Desperation
It’s finally August, it’s almost time to go back to our second home. Of course, the days are starting to drag and you’re starting to feel suffocated at home. You wonder how much longer you can take being away from that beautiful golden dome. Desperate to find something to make the time pass, you read another book or start another show on Netflix or go to the pool. Three weeks has never seemed like such a long, excruciating period of time to wait.
Stage Five: Excitement
The excitement sets in around the same time as desperation and as the countdown drops lower and lower, the desperation dissipates and excitement begins to take over.
You start making a list of everything you have to pack. You go shopping for new clothes, maybe get a little bit crafty with dorm decorations, FaceTime your roommate(s) to discuss your room set up. You can’t stop thinking about what your new classes will be like, what you’re going to do and where you’re going to go on the first weekend, and how much fun the first football game is going to be. It’s almost time for another year at Notre Dame and we couldn’t be more ready for it.
The Cure
Get back to the golden dome immediately, take copious amounts of dome pictures, and don’t take a moment you spend there for granted.
The HCND application is now open! For more information contact Rebecca Rogalski at rebeccarogalski@hercampus.comor Katrina Linden at katrinalinden@hercampus.com
Follow HCND on Twitter, like us on Facebook, Pin with us, and show our Instagram some love!