By the time finals come around, it's pretty clear that almost everyone is counting down the minutes until they get to go home, lay in their big, cozy beds and watch Netflix while cuddling with their pups. Maybe it's simply because there is no immediate pressure regarding school, but for some reason, we always seem to forget the tragedies that come after the first week of Winter Break. Now don't get me wrong, having our moms cook all of our favorite meals and reuniting with some old friends is great and all, but have you ever considered how disturbingly bored you might get once you've eaten that special chicken and all of your friends go on vacation? Well, I have. So here's the reality of Winter Break:

1. You have to wear a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses anytime you go to the local Walgreens just to avoid running into anyone from high school

2. You have to make up for all of the doctor appointments you've been rescheduling for the past four months

3. And get updated on all of your vaccines, which means getting a ton of shots

4. You are so poor that you actually have no choice but to work seasonal hours at your part-time summer job

5. And you're so bored that you have no choice but to do the only thing there is to do in your hometown: go bowling

6. The inevitable small talk you must engage in with family members, neighbors, friends, or the mailman feels endless

“So what are your plans after graduation?”

7. Your parents seem to forget that you live most of the year without them and tell you to be home by "midnight, no later"

8. And they love having an extra pair of hands around the house so you are given a list of chores to do and actually do them, cause what else is there to do?

9. All of your close friends from home leave to go on vacations with their families

10. And you have to see everyone's bikini photos online while laying in bed eating a medium Lou Malnati's pizza all by yourself

11. But hey at least you get to live vicariously through them and stalk everyone, including yourself, on Facebook, questioning your entire existence

12. Your family doesn’t realize that partying at college is a normal occurrence, and start expressing concerns about your drinking habits

13. So to save face, you find yourself sneaking a few drinks when grandma isn't looking

14. You run out of things to watch on Netflix within the first week

15. You spend hours updating your LinkedIn profile to try and find a reasonable, paid internship for the summer and realize after about three days of searching, there is no hope

16. You gain weight

You know, from all of Mom's great meals you wanted (or from your Easy Mac and Cup of Noodles diet).

17. You "forget" to leave your bed

18. You must accept that you forgot *insert important item here* at school and won’t see it for a month

19. Your parents continuously nag you to get off the couch and be a productive member of society but there is absolutely nothing to do

20. You have to say goodbye to the comfort of your childhood home once again

Including your family, dog, and comfy bed.