Ah, college—the time of your life when all your friends live near you, fun is around every corner, and the whole world is at your fingertips. What people never tell you, however, is that college can actually be quite boring at times, especially on the weekends. I learned this the hard way as a freshman, when I realized that 95% of the students who stay on campus on the weekends do so to drink and party. As you can imagine, that became extremely monotonous and uninteresting after the first two weeks.

So, I started packing up and heading home every weekend to make my own fun. Instead of waiting around for all of my friends to recover from their hangovers, I decided to take three days off from campus life. I enjoyed being back in my own house, hanging out with my family, and exploring the world in a whole new way. If you're looking for an excuse to leave campus once classes let out on Friday, here are 10 reasons:

1. You can sleep in your huge, comfy bed for two whole nights in a row

2. You can catch up with high school friends, grandparents, siblings, parents, and everyone else who doesn't live on or near campus!

3. You can escape the tiny dorm room or apartment you've been cooped up in all week

4. You have the full ability to be yourself, without worrying about keeping your roommate up at night or setting off the ultra-sensitive smoke alarm in your apartment

5. You can enjoy free home-cooked meals from the one person in your life who always cooks amazing food, AKA your mom

6. You can take a mental breather and pretend that college doesn't exist for a full two-and-a-half days (by far my favorite weekend hobby)

7. You can explore all your favorite hangout spots in your hometown, including local restaurants, skating rinks, bowling alleys, and public parks

8. You can always count on your mom to wash, dry, and fold your laundry while you're home

9. You can spend time with your pets and remind them that you still love them (let's be honest, they're heartbroken when you are gone during the week)

10. You have something to look forward to all week long: returning to a loving home with good company, tasty food, and every reason to live life to the fullest

Remember that you don't have to live on campus 24/7 just because you're a college student. Find what works best for you and pursue it joyfully.