The holidays are fast approaching and with them brings the end of finals, holiday cheer, home cooked meals, and of course, going home to see all your relatives and old friends. Chances are that you’ve changed at college, and making the sudden change from complete independence to living with your parents again makes it very easy to fall back into old routines and regress into a semblance of your old self. It’s important to know how to deal with this. Here’s a few situations you might run into and how to deal with them to have the best Christmas break you can.
Parents: Adjusting to living with your parents again is going to be a tough transition for you and them. Don’t forget that when you went away, they adjusted their lives as well and will have to get used to your new independent self. Before getting annoyed by your mother’s friendly reminders about cleaning up and your Dad nagging you about your weekend plans, take a deep breathe, try not to get frustrated and indulge them. While it might be frustrating in the short term, chances are you will end up having a better break by avoiding conflict.
Answering Questions You Don’t Want to Answer: Coming back home and seeing your relatives and parents for the first time in a long time will make them very curious about your fabulous new college life. Most conversations will inevitably include, “So, how’s your love life?” and “How often are you going out?” Rather than getting flustered and trying to figure out an answer that won’t shock your relatives, try turning it back on them. For example, “Love life? I don’t have time for that with all the schoolwork I’ve been doing!” Even if that may not be the case, you will have successfully changed the subject, and they will be impressed with your studiousness.
“That” Friend: When you come home from college you will undoubtedly have at least one friend who is completely obsessed with her college life. Your conversations will consist entirely of how much she loves her sorority sisters and how there is no better college than the one that she goes to. She might ask you about school occasionally, but she will find some way to turn the conversation back to her. If there is no way to politely remove yourself from the situation, simply smile, offer a responsorial comment or two, and try to change the subject back to plans over break, high school memories, or ask about something completely unrelated to school.
Your High School Ex: Running into an ex of any kind is always awkward. From an ex-boyfriend to an ex-friend, running into an ex at home, no matter how the relationship ended is inevitably awkward. It’s important to maintain confidence in this situation. Remember that you have a new life at college, a life that they are no longer a part of, and you should do your best to keep your head held high and flash your classiest smile when you see them, because they will not even know how to respond.
Remember, going away to college changes you. Don’t let the familiarity of coming home turn you back to your old habits. Show everyone at home what a confident and mature person you have become.