Here we are, Stouties, crossing the finish line of 2015 finals and embracing the sweet freedom of summer. We finally did it! As we finish the last of our finals and turn in our textbooks, it is clear that we are turning over a new leaf in our adventures as a Blue Devil. But there may be some things we haven’t quite prepared ourselves to part with, as we pack up and head home. And those transitions might be tougher to handle than you think.
1. Convenient food.
Remember those days when you couldn’t just walk across the street to buy a slice of pizza from the Skylight Market? Me neither. Now that we return home for the summer, sustaining our stomachs isn’t nearly as easy to do. I know we’ll all miss it, but try to remember what it’s like to actually make yourself a grilled cheese, or prepare for more than a stroll across the street to get a nice meal in you.
2. Howdy, neighbor!
Now that we’re settling back into our homes, it might be difficult adjusting to the silence. Living in the dorms has afforded us the opportunity to always be a stone’s throw from our friends. As we all scatter into our separate hometowns, it just got a whole lot harder to socialize and plan hangouts with the people we might have spent every day with during the semester. Just remember that Skype and Facetime are your friends.
3. Rules and regulations.
Taking our volume down a few notches at night and washing your dishes in the JC instead of the bathroom sink are absolute cakewalks compared to the “my house my rules” mentality possessed by many parents. Maybe your ‘rents are prepared to loosen up, or perhaps they feel you need a little structure, but living in close quarters with the authority means you have to answer to them. Kiss your independence and freedom goodbye; no ifs, ands or buts about it.
4. Vroom vroom.
College campuses are planned to enable students to walk to where they need to go with ease. The real world? Not so much. It’s time to get used to driving again, or bumming rides off of your pals. But the true adjustment here is that wonderful cost of gas. Prepare for that burning hole in your wallet.
5. Finding your own entertainment.
As obnoxious as Campus Life Today was to receive in your inbox twenty times a day (I mean seriously?! Why so many Addendums?!), you have to admit that it gave you a pretty good indication of what to do when you’re bored on a friday night. Between free movies on campus and spectacular punk rock concerts, you can always count on Stout to deliver a good time when needed. Now that we’re heading home, we might have to do a lot more digging to find events we care to entertain ourselves with. Bonus points for finding something free to attend!