1. Curfew? Apparently, those exist again...
Your first weekend on campus was full of startling realizations that you have the ability to do what you want, when you want, and no one really cares or even knows unless you tell them about it. You can be out until 3 a.m. and there is no one to question what you were up to or why you were out so late (except for maybe your uptight roommate). When you return home and display the same behavior however, it is not as accepted. Instead you are greeted with 100 questions coming from an angry mother by the lamp light of the living room. Being that stubborn, independent "adult" that you are, you persist against their curfew rules. A hard-fought battle ensues and only one side will win. Good Luck.
2. "I love all this free time!" ... "And now, I'm bored."
The last few weeks of school all you can think about is how great it will feel to be at home with tons of free time to do whatever you want. This excitement lasts about three days, and leads to you finding yourself completely bored with nothing to do.
3. Your parents begin to question WHO you're hanging out with and WHY you're hanging out with them.
They say that high school friends do not stay your friends once college has started; sometimes this is the case and sometimes it's not. Regardless, you will not be the same person you were in high school, and neither are your friends, so maintaining these relationships might be a challenge. For this reason, you will search out new opportunities to meet new people in your home community. Most of the time, if you're lucky, these friends will be the people at your summer job. Parents are more comfortable with you hanging out with kids they have watched you grow up with, but once your bring "strangers" into the mix, they begin to wonder how you could possible feel comfortable with these people, let alone trust them with your safety and well-being. Thus, you must reassure them that your new friends are nice people. It's time that the judging of their character be up to you.
4. You begin to realize that your family is able to fully function without your presence and they do not appear distraught if you're not around.
When I left for school I remember thinking that my house would be so quiet without me around. I assumed that without all of my activities to attend my parents would be bored. To my utter surprise that actually was not the case at all. Everyone seemed to be carrying along just fine without me around, in fact, having me back was an adjustment for them. Another plate at the dinner table, another person to challenge the movie selection, and another body using up all the hot water were just a few minor adjustments they had to make.
5. FOOD
Let's just say, it's healthier, not fried for every meal, and it's REAL food!
6. Sleeping will now have time limits that follow "normal sleeping patterns."
College is all about sleeping when you can. If you have a paper due at 8 a.m., it is common to stay up until 5 a.m., and when it is finished, take a little nap, go to class, and then sleep from noon until it's time for dinner. Apparently this trend is not as appreciated in the real world. While you learn to sleep through kids running up and down the hallway, your roommate shuffling papers, and with the light on, there is still one thing you cannot sleep through: your parents yelling at you to get up at 7 a.m.
7. You develop a whole new freedom to life, while still living under someone else's roof (with it's limitations, of course).
Upon returning home, you discover that there are so many possibilities of adventures to do that you never even thought of before. You can take weekend road trips with your friends, fly to visit your roommate on the other side of the country, or even attend weekend music festivals. The opportunities are endless (as long as you okay it with mom and dad first).
8. Depending on how you do it, you could potentially make yourself more busy during the summer than you ever were while you were away at school.
Many college students have two goals when they go home for the summer: to hang out with their friends that they do not see as often, and to make as much money as possible to get them through the next school year. This means having a job or two, accompanied with full-time/more hours. This leaves you understanding why your parents complained about working all the time. 40+ hours a week is exhausting, and you begin to look forward to those days off more than anything.
9. It is not as bad as you think: there are some really wonderful perks.
One of the greatest benefits that comes from being away at college is how much you appreciate coming home. You learn to cherish the comfiness of your bed and the living room couch, not having to watch Netflix on your small laptop screen, and best of all, your parents become more like friends to you. The embarrassment of being seen in public with them fades away and you realize that you actually like hanging out with them, and sometimes they can be pretty awesome people.
10. You vow to not make living at home a permanent happening for next summer.
As much as you love or hate returning to live at home, there is one thing that is for sure: you will have your own place next summer, because even though it had it's moments, living at home is not exactly something you want to do again. Unless, of course, you have no choice.
