With my past four years of college fresh in mind, I recall every excuse I used to avoid leaving my apartment. Some were more credible than others. Sometimes the weather was too difficult to bear going outside, or sometimes we were drowning in homework. However, there are so many less- justified reasons we've used to stay in our apartment for a whole day.
I asked some of my college friends what their excuses to stay in their dorm were to compare to my own. There was a lot of overlap, and a lot of individual responses. Here is a list of 10 things that every college student, or 20-something person can relate to on their days off.
1. I would fall on my face if I went outside.
Extreme weather is not something you want to be walking across campus in, whether it's freezing cold or scorching hot. Most college campuses do very well with closing the campus when there is an impending snowstorm or flashfreeze. I am quite the clumsy individual and if the pathways weren't salted, I was taking my life (and the life of anyone within arm or foot reach,) into my hands.
There is also the problem of excessive heat. We all know how it feels to hit a wall of hot air that takes your breath away. Regardless of whether you have asthma or another breathing issue, staying outside in that weather does not always end well.
2. There are only a few more episodes in this season.
This was always my first excuse. Unless I had pre-made plans, I was in my bed, or on the sofa with Netflix on a continuous loop. Eventually when that pesky question came up, "Are you still watching?" I would have a serious debate with myself. Sure, I had just spent several hours doing absolutely nothing. Did that make me jump out of bed? No. Well, only if there was food or a bathroom break involved.
3. Certain articles of clothing are optional indoors.
We all know that it is not socially acceptable to be missing certain pieces of clothing in a public setting. There are those that dare to break those social barriers within the comforts of their dorm or apartment. Whether it be socks, pants, shirts, or underwear (ew, but whatever tickles your pony) we all have certain things that make us more or less comfortable. I cannot count the number of times that I walked in and saw one of my roommates strutting her stuff down the hallway.
4. I have access to everything I want here, and almost everything else I can have delivered to me.
A dorm room or apartment is filled with comfort items for their tenants. Maybe it's a favorite blanket or a special snack saved for specific occasions. In order to leave those comforts, an extremely good offer must be presented. My apartment had a fridge, freezer, and two cabinets filled with food for me to choose from. If there were certain pleasure items I wanted but didn't have, we all know that there are methods of delivering them to your front door.
First of all, there is takeout food. I recall many midnight pizza orders. Second of all, I had friends and roommates that I knew I could ask for something. (I'm not stingy, I returned the favor.) Finally, there are parent/other family visits. My parents brought me anything I wanted from home, and often bought me the groceries that I needed. Why exit the threshold when everything I need could be in my grasp already or just beyond?
5. I haven't skipped this class (or work) too often yet.
I skillfully managed to avoid taking any 8 a.m. classes after my first semester. But you know what happened then? Those 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. starts were harder and harder to deal with as time went on. Every morning, and I'm sure many people can relate, we have an internal debate with ourselves. Do I really need to go to that twice or three time a week class? Probably, but maybe not this time. I would very rarely skip a once a week class, because then you never really catch up. Can I think of a good reason not to go to work? Not unless I'm sick, because money, and money is nice. I usually argued against the side of me that wanted to stay in bed, but damn it was a convincing argument.
6. People can be really annoying to interact with sometimes.
People are just...difficult sometimes. Aside from my core group of people, I get easily flustered when around people. Not always embarrassed, but sometimes it just baffled me how ridiculous and stupid people can be. Why deal with it unnecessarily? I'm not saying that human interaction is a bad thing...all the time. But we all know those situations when we would really rather just not.
7. I could really use a nap.
Being a college student or a 20-something year-old person can be exhausting, especially when we have just started working. Our bodies are used to late nights and mostly late mornings, not early mornings and late nights. When the opportunity for a nap arises, seize that moment because it may never come again.
8. Beds are excellent captors.
Everyone always has good intentions. Whether it is to go grocery shopping, finish that assignment, or something else entirely. My bed was my absolute worst enemy. If sitting on the sofa is a bad idea when you have things you want to accomplish, laying in bed is a terrible one. On a sofa you might have access to a blanket and a pillow. In your bed you have access to a blanket, all of the pillows and stuffed animals you own, a phone charger, and your laptop or tablet. There is no ransom that will ever let your bed leave unless your roommates, or parents peel you out of the covers. Proceed with caution!
9. Effort. Just, effort.
Need I say more? There is so much effort in walking up or down a flight of stairs, going outside, or driving anywhere. There is far less effort in staying in your living space the whole day.
10. The world cannot handle my awesomeness every day.
I think that this one is self explanatory.
