There's definitely a reason nearly 70,000 people choose to attend THE Ohio State University. It doesn't matter what time of year it is, or how long they've been gone, Ohio State is our home away from home.
1. Football season is just around the corner
Football season is undeniably the best season at Ohio State and regardless what month it actually is, football season is right around the corner. The rest of the year is pretty dull and just leading up to the main event of those ever-so-important months. Win or lose, the Buckeyes have our hearts all year round.
2. Home-cooked meals are not as good as you remember
I'm not saying that campus food is the best of the best, but at least there are options. At home, you have three choices: what your family makes for dinner, what's left of the peanut butter and jelly that hasn't been touched since you went to college, or you go spend your money on food. Your choice.
3. You feel like you haven't seen your friends in ages
Even though 3/4 of Ohio State students are from Ohio, meaning they fall into one of the general categories of being from Cleveland, Columbus, or Cincinnati, this does not mean that you get to see your friends at all. You can live on totally opposite sides of what had been deemed as "Cleveland" and still live over an hour away. Our state doesn't split as well into three as we try to make it. We go from seeing our friends every waking hour to nearly four months without them.
4. You're bored
Sleeping in past noon every day is fun until you realize that when you wake up you have nothing to do. It's hard to go from having your days packed from beginning to end to laying on your couch every day for a month. It reaches the point where even going to class sounds more appealing than being in your house one more day.
5. You have a curfew
It is no secret that the college student life is not exactly the most orthodox and when it comes to staying out late, college students do it best. Staying at the bars until close or staying the night at your friend's house without having to ask for permission has become just a part of daily life. But being home means that your parents want to know where you are at all times. While we all know they have good intentions, let's be honest, it's annoying.
6. Not everything is a 10-minute walk away
If you're an underclassman, or from out of state, chances are you don't have your car on campus, which means the last time you drove a car was, well... last time you were home. There's just no need to drive while you're at school especially when you think that the walk from Bowen to Res on Tenth is only like 20 minutes if you take the best route. Being at home is an entirely different story. You have to drive EVERYWHERE, and gas is not cheap.
7. There is NOTHING to do in your hometown
If your hometown is anything like mine, the only "fun" thing to do with your friends is go out to eat. This means that you either have to think of something creative to do that you didn't exhaust during high school or take a day trip elsewhere. In Columbus, you can go downtown or to Short North or Clintonville or just explore the area around campus; it's your own fault if you can't find anything to do here.
8. People from your high school are everywhere
Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with anyone from my high school. With that being said, seeing them every time I'm at the gas station, or at the mall, or out to eat, or drive down the street gets to be a little annoying. Sometimes you just want to enjoy your time with your family without seeing the people you haven't talked to in at least two years.
9. Summer jobs are the WORST
Unless you have a meaningful internship, your parents are probably making you get a summer job so that you stop being "so lazy." Summer jobs are never as glamorous as they look in the movies and making minimum wage can be disappointing when you get your paycheck. They're usually boring and serve little benefit besides building your bank account before destroying it once again in the coming school year.
10. Campus/city views
It doesn't get much better than the view from the 11th floor of Thompson or being able to see the city looking straight down high. It's hard to beat the views of THE Ohio State University.
