Caution- I'm about to present a viewpoint that many college kids will detest and disagree with.
Alright, here it is... I don't like going on breaks from school.
*Gasps arise from audience, desks are flipped, people storm out of rooms, someone has a heart attack*
Yes, yes, I know it's not a popular opinion to have, especially considering how much we all want to be done with our schooling for life and just move into our careers already. I get it- breaks provide a way for students to relieve stress for awhile and relax from the constant pressures of taking exams and writing papers. Now, please don't get me wrong, I value taking a rest just as much as the next average college Joe does.
HOWEVER, there are some aspects of being at school that I believe every student needs deep down that we just don't receive when we come back home and do nothing for three weeks. **Disclaimer, this viewpoint does not apply to those of you that actually did something productive with your lives over break. Props to you, an inspiration to us all.** Nevertheless, for those of us who spent our winter vacations as couch potatoes, eating our body weight in cookies every day, here are ten, very valid reasons why being at school can be better than being at home.
1. You, guaranteed, won't get bored.
Hmm, spend the whole day lying on the couch watching Hallmark movie specials and slowly slipping into insanity or go out with your friends and do something fun around campus? Tough one...
2. You will actually have friends.
Chances are, if you go out of state to college, your friends all live in different parts of the country... making you alone and sad over every break. No thanks.
3. Your time is your own.
During the holidays, there are so many family responsibilities and things that have been planned for you, there's not a lot of time to spend doing what you'd like to do. At college, you can take a 5-hour nap, go out with your friends, or stay in the dorm and have a personal spa night. No one can stop you!
4. You'll have a somewhat-decent sleep schedule.
Going on break is the worst because you grow acclimated to waking up at certain times for class or work, which is all put on hold when you go home for a month. You get used to sleeping in until 3 PM and staying up watching Netflix until 5 AM. It's a brutal awakening whenever you do go back.
5. Back up, you'll actually have a schedule and a routine in the first place.
Those of us who value routine and keeping ourselves busy go absolutely insane over breaks. At school, we have our whole days planned out and a set routine that keeps us active. At home, we have uh... none of that.
6. You won't have to deal with crazy family drama.
If you have a big family and lots of people visiting for the holidays, you know how stressful everyone gets and the tension that builds over those weeks. Wouldn't it be nice if instead of hiding in your room to get away from Aunt Mildred's questions about why you don't have a job or a boyfriend yet, you didn't have to worry about any of that?
7. You'll have constant activities and events to look forward to.
I mean, yeah, Christmas is cool and New Year's can be fun, but those are the only highlights of winter vacation. In between, you're doing a lot of lying around and staring at the ceiling or your phone screen. Staying at school means you will always have events to look forward to, whether it's games, socials, parties, or even just hangouts with your friends.
8. You won't eat everything in the fridge.
The holidays have a tendency to add a few pounds onto all of us, especially if you indulge in Christmas cookies more than the average person (@me). Frequent trips to the kitchen can be avoided if you just stayed at school and kept up with the gym routine.
9. You only have to do chores for yourself.
When college kids come home, many of us are automatically brought into the weekly chores schedule... meaning folding laundry for 5 people, instead of one. Wouldn't it be great to just have to worry about cleaning up your own messes?
10. You have your own space.
Over the holidays, many of us are under obligation to spend time with the family or room with relatives to ensure everyone fits. There's not a lot of personal space or time. Staying at school means getting to go back to your dorm whenever you want and being able to plop onto bed and do nothing for hours if you so desire. It's absolutely beautiful.
