Finals season is almost done, and most of us are beyond ready to go home. Some of us even had to be dragged back to college after Thanksgiving break. From tree decorating, to catching up with old friends, to New Years Eve parties, there’s a lot to look forward to. However, as much as we have missed our families and the comforts of home, living with our parents and siblings again for an extended period can be a difficult adjustment for everyone. Here are a few tips to make the adjustment easier.
1. Get a job. A month is a long time to be on break, so do something productive with your time and make money because we all know college students are broke. On top of the obvious benefit of money, having a job will give you and your family the space you need, so you do not get tired of each other.
2. Define what the rules are immediately after you get home. In college, you are accustomed to having the freedom to do whatever you wish, but at home, your parents still see you as their child they need to protect. You need to understand that you may not have as much freedom as you had in college, but your parents need to understand that you should have more freedom than you had before you left for college. You’ll need to learn how to compromise, and you should do this before a problem arises.
3. Don’t be messy. At this point, you might be used to your disordered dorm room, and your roommate may not have complained unless your stuff landed on her side. However, your parents will complain, so avoid this confrontation entirely and clean up after yourself. Being clean is a sign of respect towards your parents and shows you are growing mature.
4. Reconnect with your high school friends. As important as it is to move on from high school, it’s good to stay connected with the people you had some of your best youthful memories with. You have an entire semester to catch up on, and spending time with high school friends can be a well-needed break from your siblings.
5. Plan a weekend to meet up with your college friends. At first being home is wonderful, but after a few weeks, you’ll find yourself missing college. Give yourself a break from home and something to look forward to by setting aside a weekend in the middle of break to get together with friends from college. You can do anything from a ski trip to simply watching movies, as long as you are spending time with your second family.
6. Travel. The point of winter break is to take a break. Go somewhere away from both college and home. This way you will not be spending an entire month at home and can avoid growing unappreciative of the place you missed so much. It can be as simple as spending a weekend in the mountains or as adventurous as a week in the Amazon. You can travel with family and remind yourself how much fun you have together, or you can travel with your friends to get a break from your family. The options are endless.
7. Cook a meal. Instead of asking what’s for dinner, you decide what’s for dinner. Surprise your parents with a home-made meal to show you appreciate them. A special meal like this will also bring the whole family around the table, making for some good bonding.
8. Save time in your schedule for your family. As busy as your schedule may get between work and hanging out with your friends, remember the people who love you most of all. As much as they may not act like it sometimes, your family misses you while you are at college, and as much as you may not want to admit it, you miss them too. Cut some time out of your schedule each week to do anything from playing board games to hiking as a family.
9. Do your chores. When living in dorms, the closest you get to chores is sweeping your bedroom floor when you lose a game of “odds-are” to your roommate. However, your house is bigger than a dorm room, and to keep it feeling like home, everyone living there must chip in. Volunteer to do the dishes or shovel snow without complaining. It will show your parents you respect them and are growing up, allowing them to begin respecting you like the adult you are (or are supposed to be).
10. Remember why you wanted to come home before break. If you begin to get tired of break, remember you got tired of college too. As much as you might miss your college friends, you do not miss the stress of exams and 2000-word papers. Live in the moment and enjoy the perks of home like showering without flip flops on and sleeping in your own bed while you can.