Although my first year of college was super stressful for me and a huge adaptation, being on summer break for about 3 months now has me missing my busiest days. I miss the late night talks with friends (aka, a possibly drunk friend comes into the room and forces you to strike up a conversation even though you’re half asleep), and I even miss the multiple days of camping out in the library all day. Why? Because it gave me almost no time to sit down and think or become lethargic. I was busy most times and the only times I wasn’t busy was when I was sleeping or catching a few minutes to relax. So here are a few reasons and examples of why I miss college.
1. My routines
I don’t work 8 hours a day every day and my schedule is anything but solid. The hours I work depend on if I’m needed, which means there is no possible way for me to build a routine. And before you tell me, “well can’t you just set specific hours?” yes, yes I can but I choose not to because it’s kind of in my job description to be open whenever (and I’m not risking the loss of hours). I’ve become so used to a routine that I find it hard to function without one. For example, if I have a night shift, I will become completely lazy in the morning and do absolutely nothing, setting myself up for failure. If I have a morning shift (which is rare) I may be too tired by the end of the day and once again become lethargic and do nothing.
2. Brain stimulation
I’ve noticed that without having to study or going to classes, there’s nothing to stimulate my mind, which stumps me most days. This is again something that I thrive on. If I’m stimulated, I can flow through the day without getting lethargic and I’m able to have enough energy that makes me feel… well, like a normal, functional human. Without that I become lazy, and my mood and energy decreases exponentially to the point that I won’t do anything all day and feel like crap for it. On the other side of that, there are days where I feel the presure to get a bunch of things done (mainly on the rare days that I have off) and I end up feeling too stimulated, kind of compared to a mania of sorts. By the end of that day I completely crash and it leaves me tired for weeks on end. So without my routine, it's a lose-lose situation.
3. The friends
Yes, my friends are still around, but they’re not physically here to pick me up throughout the day and force me to keep going. And I know that shouldn’t be needed, and it’s not, but having a friend do that is a nice reminder from time to time to not give up. There have been days where I’ve done nothing but stare at my phone or television, not even comprehending what is in front of me, and I’ve felt so lazy and frustrated after. It would be nice to have a friend here that pushes you out of the mood and forces you to get out.
4. The compact rooms
Having a room with not even half of my stuff in there made things a lot easier to clean. My room now has so much stuff in it that I get exhausted just looking at what I have to clean. Although this can go hand in hand with just not feeling stimulated throughout the day to do anything.
5. The classes
Having to go out and walk to my classes forced me to enjoy the outside, and I really did enjoy it. When I needed a breather and I left for class early and slowed my pace so I could take in my surroundings. When I just needed to get away, I found a small place outside where I could sit and listen to music. I walked around the campus in between studying and homework so recharge myself. Without that, I have no desire to really go outside (as bad as that sounds) because I’m not forced to.
All of these thing make me miss my campus, and I’m definitely going to miss living there but I can’t wait for September to come around. Until then I can work on a routine that will work for me in preparation of the next summer break.
