School is over, and the Facebook statuses have begun. “Just got an internship at the local news station!” says your broadcast journalism friend. “Can’t wait to spend my summer in Italy!” says your Eat, Pray, Love, wannabe friend. Even if you have gained some great BS skills from college, is there any real way to spin “Home for the summer!” into sounding impressive? YES. I’m giving you the top five reasons you should be excited to be home for the summer!
1. No More Community Bathrooms
Let’s just be real about it, community bathrooms are NOT ideal. By spending the summer at home, gone are the days of shower shoes, waiting for an open shower, and restricting your inner Adele singing voice from shining through!
2. Reliable, Free, and Overall Better Internet
I would think that everyone is excited to have fast, reliable, and free internet once again. While you may have been more productive when you had to wait for Gossip Girl to buffer on Hulu (make a sandwich, paint your toenails, do a little dance), how great will it be to not have to worry about being interrupted every couple of minutes because of loading issues? Let’s not mention the whole exceeding bandwidth issue.
3. Fewer Expenses
I don’t see any negative to living at home for the summer when it comes to expenses and money. Your parents will be cooking meals, and you’ll have free rent and free laundry. That way you can work and save up money for all those concerts and late-night Kerbey runs when you get back to the ATX next fall. That’s the main reason Marissa Forsyth, a Theater and Dance sophomore is excited to get home. “I am going to miss Austin terribly, but it will definitely be nice to save money by not paying for rent and bills!”
4. No More Homework
As close as you got with your favorite study spot this year, spending hours upon hours together, trying differentiate between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, it’s time to bid it adieu and say hello to no homework! Think of all the freedom you have now! You have plenty of time to do anything you want! Let your imagination soar, try something new, or go on an adventure. One activity I would love to do this summer is create a college scrapbook! Grab all your old sports games ticket stubs, pictures with friends, and that paper that you got an A on that you’ve been secretly keeping, and create a book full of memories!
5. Out with the New, In with the Old (temporarily)
You’ve made dozens of new friends this year, ate at dozens of new delicious restaurants, and hopefully haven’t slept on that many uncomfortable floors of your friends’ apartments. New experiences are awesome, and are a main reason of why college will be the best years of our lives; but sometimes the familiar is nice to revisit. When you’re home, you’ll be able to eat at your favorite local pizza place, have campfires with your old high school friends, and sleep in your own bed! Alejandra Gonzales, a bilingual education sophomore is excited to be back relaxing at her house. “I can see my family again and enjoy the beach back home in South Padre Island,” she said. “I’m also excited to take a break from school and hang out with our puppy!”
As you wave good-bye to the tower and all it’s burnt orange glory, take a few deep breaths and remember you’ll be back on the 40 acres in only three months! Also remember what Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home”.
Photo Sources:
Felicia Fitzpatrick
(Elf, Will Ferrell) http://www1.appstate.edu/~ch74748/Class/sight_sound/storyboard/elf.html