This might be an unpopular opinion for many people, but I am very excited to be home for the next month. I have been counting down the days to my last final and I am eagerly awaiting the day when there will be no more notifications on Canvas.
However, I get that not everyone is excited to be going home and that many are dreading the end of this semester. If you’re in that boat, here are a few ideas of what you can do while you wait for January 10 to come.
Go to Your Favorite Local Restaurants
I have a list of restaurants on my phone that I am excited to eat at once I get home, and all of them are places local to my hometown. As much as I love many of the restaurants in State College, there is something about getting a good slice of pizza from my favorite pizza place or a burger from my favorite restaurant that is motivating me to get through these last few weeks of the semester.
If you don’t have any places that come to mind for you, take winter break as an opportunity to find some new hidden gems where you live. Even if you venture out to neighboring towns, finding places you like to can make you excited to come home.
It can be as simple as a New Jersey Bagel, or a specialty coffee that only your local coffee shop sells. But whatever it is, let those small things make you excited to be back home.
Rekindle old friendships
It’s safe to say that I did not carry many friendships from high school into college. There are only one or two people I regularly talk to, and even then I only send them a text every once in a while.
Winter break is a great chance to see those people again and catch up on the last few months. Plan an outing with your high school friends to catch up. Having people outside your immediate family to spend time with can make the holidays feel less lonely.
Going from seeing your friends every day to not seeing them for a month is not fun, but having people at home can make your hometown feel a little less boring.
Redecorate your room
Coming back for Thanksgiving, I was shocked to see how sad my bedroom looked. I had taken a bunch of stuff with me to decorate my dorm, it left my room looking sterile.
Take this extra time to find some new decor and spice up your room. If you’re going to be home for almost a full month, your room should be just as comfortable and welcoming as your one at school.
If you celebrate Christmas, you can set up a mini Christmas tree, or put up some lights. Or maybe just get some pictures from this semester printed and hang them up. Even just moving some furniture around can bring some life back into your living space, and make living at home feel a little less suffocating.
Bake Something
One thing I took for granted while living at home was the ability to just walk downstairs and bake something whenever I want. During the winter months, I always love to bake cookies, especially homemade gingerbread.
Although finals will have passed, stress baking is a great way to cope with feelings of anxiety and can be a great way to transition out of the college mindset. Try a new recipe, or remake something you know you love, and surprise your friends and family with some freshly baked goods.
Or, of course, you could eat them all for yourself. Enjoy your hard work.
However you spend winter break, it’s important to remember that this time is meant to reset and recharge before the next semester. Take this time to do things for yourself, and once it’s over, you can come back to school ready to take on the spring semester.