After a month-long break, many are eager and ready to return to classes. However, there are also those who were dragged kicking and screaming to return for spring semester. Whichever group you are in, here are 10 thoughts all college students have the first week back from winter break.
1. “What was my room number again?”
After a month of being home and only leaving your room to get food and use the bathroom in between Netflix marathons, the little things tend to be forgotten, such as your dorm room number. So, when it comes to checking back into the dorms, you may find yourself asking, “What floor was I on? It was room 15, right? Or was it 11? I know it was someplace with a bed and desk…do you have one of those?”
2. “I have a 8:00 a.m. class? Why would I do that to myself?”
Once you’ve finally settled into your room and (maybe) started unpacking, it’s time to figure out what your classes are going to look like. So, you take out your schedule…and find out that you scheduled yourself into a 8:00 a.m. Monday morning class…what? “What was I thinking? Am I trying to turn myself into a sleep-deprived zombie?” While you try to contact your advisor and whatever other higher power can get you out of this mess, you find out all the later classes are closed and you are out of luck. Guess you have to stick it out and get to bed earlier…3:00 a.m. is early, right?
3. “The textbook costs how much?”
As you try to get yourself sorted out for classes, you may have noticed that some teachers sent you emails over break with the “required” textbooks. Because you, like most, are a poor college student, you try to find the cheapest one you can online…only to discover that no website in the history of mankind has that textbook available for rent and there are no PDF files. You check the price with your fingers (and toes) crossed…and your jaw drops to the floor. Who do they think we are, Donald Trump? Oh, wait…my bad…we all at least have brains…
4. “I miss my parents' cooking…”
So you’ve settled in and are probably starving, so you decide to go to the dining hall. You eagerly look around, hoping to find something edible, but all you see are the cafeteria’s specialties: grilled, dried-out chicken, seasoned (and burnt) vegetables and stir-fry (made with whatever was leftover in the kitchen from a month ago.) You sigh and go back up to your room, pull out the instant noodles and silently cry as you think about the delectable dinner your parents are having at that very moment.
5. “Do I know that person?”
Congrats! You’ve made it through the fall semester of college, which probably means you’ve met several people from your fall classes. But as you’re walking through the halls, you see several people and you can’t decide whether you know them from last semester or if they just have one of those recognizable faces. So, you have two choices: 1) be friendly and wave, maybe even asking them how their break was or 2) avert your gaze and walk away quickly. Erring on the side of caution, you choose the latter, only to find that the person looked like they were about to wave at you. You may start panicking a little and choose to return their apparent greeting…or you just walk away faster and wonder the rest of the day if you actually knew the person. Better safe than sorry though, right?
6. “I’m going to stay on top of my work this semester! I’m going to get everything done in advance and…oh…wait…”
New year, new you, right? You’ve decided you want to stay on top of all your work and ace every single one of your classes. You even asked for a planner for Christmas, for Pete’s sake! So, once the weekend comes, you plan to sit down and finish all your work for the next month…only to remember that you have a three page paper due on Monday, two tests on Tuesday, a chapter worth of written homework due Wednesday…and the list goes on, and on. So much for becoming the Hermione Granger you always wanted to be…
7. “Is it Spring break yet?”
With such a hefty load of homework to do, you are already wiped out and ready to just lie down and sleep for at least 24 hours. Your mind keeps wandering to that amazing trip you want to plan for spring break…until you remember you have yet another paper to write that you had completely forgotten.
8. “I’m going to go to the gym more often this semester.”
On top of being a good student, many may have decided to be better to our bodies this semester, and that includes going to the gym, eating healthily and…oh! Pizza! Never mind!
9. “Is this class really going to help me in the real world?”
In college, we expect to take classes that link to our major and will help us in the big, bad, real world. But then, schools come up with these silly, required classes like computing or public speaking and we’re left wondering, “How is this going to help me be a better doctor/lawyer/Wolf of Wall Street, etc?” Guess we have to grin and bear it…or drop out…McDonald’s is hiring, right?
10. “It actually feels good to be back.”
Though the first week may not be the easiest, it does feel good to come back. After all, there’s no place like home…or, at least, a cramped dorm room. Close enough, right?
