If you’re anything like me, you’re already stressing over spring semester. You’ve got a new schedule to figure out, classes that you already feel behind in, and maybe even a cutie from one of your classes that you’ve got to figure out how to talk to. All this is hard enough, but it seems even more impossible when you’re returning to school after almost a month of total relaxation. If the post-winter break blues are getting you down, here are some simple ways to get back in the college groove!
1. Keep in touch with the fam
Homesickness hits hard after the holidays, so make it a point to keep up those at home to keep from feeling isolated. Try calling once a week, or even help your older relatives get a Snapchat so you can send goofy pictures back and forth every day! It takes less time than a phone call, and keeps you smiling when your Grandpa figures out how to use the dog filter.
2. Redecorate
Missing that super cute throw pillow from home? Have your family send it to you so you can have a piece of your old bedroom at college. Maybe even rearrange your dorm into something totally new! After all, it is the new year, so what better time to make a change?
3. Make a photo collage
Instead of flipping through your phone’s photo album remembering the holidays, print your pictures out and hang them up. It’ll keep you reminded of home, and add a super cute touch to your boring dorm wall.
4. Make plans for the summer
If you really just can’t wait to get home again, focus on planning some fun activities for you and your family and friends over summer break. One idea that I love is picking a weekend, finding the absolute cheapest flight for those dates, and just go wherever it takes you! It’s a fairly inexpensive way to travel, and you may end up exploring a part of the country you’ve never considered visiting!
5. Surround yourself with things that make you happy
This seems like a no-brainer, but we often get so overwhelmed with homesickness and stress that it’s hard to find “me time”. If there was something last semester that didn’t work for you, throw it out and start over. This year should be about positive growth, and if that means lighting more candles, taking more naps, or buying more fun socks, you do you!
It may not be easy to deal with all the craziness that a new semester brings, but remember, we’re all plowing through this together. If you did great last semester, awesome, you can do it again! Even if you didn’t do so well, this semester is your time to shine! And if all else fails, remember – summer is just around the corner.