I’ve realized that most college students have sort of a love hate-relationship with summer break. Here, I attempt to explain this complex relationship by describing the pros and cons of different aspects of being home for the summer. Weigh them along with me and decide for yourself!
1. Seeing people from high school.
Pro: YAY! You get to see your besties! From the family friends you have known since pre-school, to your high school softball team friends, there are plenty of people you can’t wait to see over the summer. Movie nights, dinner dates, and walks through your town are the perfect way to catch up with these long lost peeps. Time to fill them in on your love life (or lack thereof), compare roommate drama stories, and catch up on your old home town gossip. Even if you don’t talk during the school year as much as you would like, when you get back together it is as if nothing has changed.
Con: …you have to see people from high school. Once you start to think about it, the number of people you are excited to see at home seems very small compared to the people you dread running into. You can’t step foot in the supermarket, your church, or literally any restaurant in town without seeing the exact members of your community that you usually try to avoid. And of course you always see the ex-boyfriend on a bad-hair-no-makeup-kind-of-day at the gym, the cool crowd when you’re buying something embarrassing at the store, and the ex-best friend at your old favorite restaurant. It’s too bad that it’s not socially acceptable to wear a paper bag as part of your daily wardrobe.
2. Family time.
Pro: No matter what your relationship with your family is like, you can admit that you end up missing them when you are out at school. Phone calls, Facetime sessions, and the occasional weekend visits are usually not enough to fill that family shaped hole in your heart. That’s why having all the members of your family under one roof makes the summer months so special. You don’t realize how much you missed watching your family’s favorite movie (while quoting the whole thing), pulling a blanket over your mom when she falls asleep on the couch, having a heart-to-heart with your dad, stealing clothes from your sister’s closets, or having random dance parties with your little sis. Your family is the best and you try to cherish this time with them.
Con: Even though you love your family dearly, it is difficult to transition from living in a dorm to living back at home. We all know that there is such a thing as too much family time. Let’s be honest, you aren’t used to someone commenting on the amount of Netflix you watch or wondering what your plans are every day. Say goodbye to much of your social life and say hello again to chores and curfews. You know that your parents mean well, but it still takes you a while to readjust to the supervision of home life.
3. The food.
Pro: THE FOOD! Maybe I’m the only one, but when I return home one of the things I am most excited about is all of the food I get to eat. After all, a stay back in your home town would not be complete without hitting up all of your favorite restaurants. You’ve got the deli that has the best bagels, your cheap (and somewhat sketchy) sushi place, the best place to get pancakes after Sunday mass, and the diner that is open 24/7. You also have a definitive ranking, depending on what flavor or toppings you want, of every ice cream parlor and pizzeria in town. Plus every restaurant comes with its own set of memories that one can only experience in their home town. You also get a break from the typical college student diet of granola bars, Ramen, and crappy coffee! Oh, and depending on the cooking/baking skills of your parents, home cooked meals can also make or break your summer experience.
Con: “So. Full. Can’t. Move.” Sound familiar? My friends, with great power comes great responsibility. Your years of experience navigating the various restaurants in your home town have left you as somewhat of an expert food eater. Unfortunately, a combination of missing these foods so much and knowing that you only have a short amount of time at home leaves you with a sense of urgency to consume everything in your sight. During the school year you find yourself day dreaming about your mother’s homemade brownies or drooling over the thought of your deli’s perfectly balanced half and half. You may regret stuffing your face now, but know that when the middle of the semester rolls around, you will be missing certain foods more than you would like to admit.
4. Relaxation time.
Pro: Flash back to the middle of finals week last semester. All you could seem to do was daydream about the hours you would soon be able to spend lounging on the beach in the summer sun. Once that last final is finished, your brain officially turns off and you are in chill mode for the next several months. You work your butt off during the school year and deserve to fill your summer months with some well-earned down time. Even if you fill your summer schedule with internships and jobs, there is always time for a good Netflix binge. No all-nighters! No group projects! No midterms! Not to mention you don’t have to wake up for that 8 AM lecture. *Insert praise hands emoji here*
Con: If I had told you during finals week that there was such a thing as too much down time, you would have told me that I was crazy. However, being home over the summer is the perfect time to test out this theory of over-relaxation. Even if you are busy at work during the day, a fairly empty social calendar at night usually leaves you nearing the boredom stage over summer break pretty easily. Once the month of August rolls around, you have probably caught up on sleep for the next year, read most books on your recommended reading list, and finished Orange Is the New Black weeks ago. Not to mention you begin to Snapchat your college friends “miss you” pics on the reg and begin a countdown until move in day. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Alright ladies, now you decide what wins. The pros? Or cons?
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