No matter where you are reading this whether at work, on the toilet or laying on your bed, we can all agree summer vacation has hit that point where we are honestly just bored out of minds. As much as we hate late nights studying for classes we should have dropped or group projects, it is almost unanimous that the first day of a new semester could not come any sooner.
We, as students, always have this undying utopian view of summer vacation, of how great it's going to be ranging from being able to put the note cards down to hanging with best friends outside of the college town you all reside in. Unfortunately, this stigma changes as summer vacation progresses because everyone has their own agendas during the summer and regardless if you have a job, internship or Netflix, being so far away from your college town pulls strings in your heart. There are hundreds of reasons why students can't wait to get back to college, but here are just a few.
Seeing friends again.
The biggest difference that many of us did not understand about college was how it would affect us during summer break. In high school, who you went to school with is largely dictated by students that live in a certain zone, but college differs with students traveling hundreds, even thousands, of miles to attend a certain university. Unlike high school, calling up the gang to go out to watch a movie or have company for dinner proves difficult with friends living varying distances away.
Even the simplest plans are hard to coordinate with everyone having their own adult responsibilities ranging from summer classes to working two jobs. We all long to be with our best friend, bro and/or friend group, but summer is hard on those relationships with everyone being so busy. We try to uphold contact with technology, but we can all agree getting together for something as simple as lunch beats mounds of text messages or Snapchats. So even though classes can be a drag, we cannot wait for the school year to start up again to see our friends and write another chapter in our book.
"You’re doing what?"
The one thing that every rising senior in high school looks forward to is the freedom that living on your own with limited parental supervision comes with. Depending on how strict your parents were growing up, this freedom could be nothing out of the norm, but for some it's like breaking out of the cage and flying away.
While the freedom might expand on campus, when you are back home it is usually frowned upon to return home at 3 a.m., waking up the whole family. This freedom is paramount because you do not have to explain to your parental figures why you are going to the mountains at 2 a.m. to have a bonfire with friends or going to biggest party of the year. No “You’re doing what?” or “Why are you out so late?” While I pray that everyone makes good decisions, we are trying to experience college in our own ways to keep ourselves busy and have a mental break from the struggles of classes.
A pocketful of sunshine.
Whether it's the one that got away, the crush that does not know you exist or someone you just made a connection with during finals, we all have that special someone that we cannot wait to see on campus again. I’ll try to keep the sappiness at a minimum, but everyone has been there with the cliche butterflies in your stomach, late night text conversation, Snapchats and awkward, "Does she/he like me or not" while eating at the dining hall together. Just when you think you are making a real connection life throws a wrench into your plan with summer vacation.
Being so far away from that special person is nerve wracking and saddening because you do not want them to find someone new and long for the awkward lunch date. Social media is so stale and, honestly, it's not how you want to start a relationship. While everyone else might be dreading for classes to start back up, you just cannot wait for chance to be final back with your pocketful of sunshine.
