Every year when the spring season comes around, college students everywhere begin to countdown the days until Summer vacation. I mean, what sounds better than no more exams for the next 90 days or so? Last day of class usually goes something like this: You go in, take your final exam, *cue that "What time is it?" summer song from "High School Musical" as you walk out the doors* and voila, it is summer! Hello to sleeping in, Netflix, adventures, and maybe a job somewhere in there too. After several days of an endless, fantastic summer, college students will still find themselves missing a few things about school.
1. Friends
This is a typical answer, but I had to start with this one. Where on earth would we be without our friends?
Pizza at midnight, random hikes and weird, indescribable adventures that only friends could understand. For me, leaving for summer meant not seeing any of my close friends until the following school year because most of my friends lived, what felt like, a million miles away. During the school year is when my friends and I hung out the most. Whether that was hiking, going to a trampoline park or simply grabbing a bite around town, my friends always planned random unexpected adventures to look forward to during a long stressful week.
Sure, Snapchat kept us in touch over summer break, but it is never as fulfilling as to when "the squad" was all here. Friends are what make life interesting and fun! Plus, looking for Pokémon alone is not as safe or fun without friends.
2. Freedom
To all the first-year college students, those who have been in college longer understand how you feel.
College students everywhere have been through it too. As much as we love our parents and guardians, we college students also love our independence. (Mom, if you are reading this, just know I love you tons and I'll do the dishes later).
Here is the truth though: college students really like to have their own option of doing what they want. For years we students have had to ask our parents for permission to go to the mall, park or to someone's house. At college, we get to choose what we want to do without having someone tell us "no". Now, parents reading this might be concerned and think college students do terrible things when they are not around. The truth is, that is not always the case. Every person is different. If it makes you feel any better, your words still haunt our minds when we forget to do things like throwing out our five-month-old trash that smells like last months tuna fish sandwich.
3. Routine
Your school routine always differs from your summer break routine.
When you are in school you have a routine, for example, having class from 10 to 2 p.m., eat lunch, art club meeting, volunteer at the local food bank, work until 8, then study. During the summer you may have more time to sleep but that also means you may not have much to do during the day. Sometimes it can be easy to have a boring day in the summer. Being in school you have a set routine that you follow and look forward to in many cases. In college, there is always something to do. For us young adults in college, having a routine makes us feel like we have our life partially together and are being somewhat of a productive citizen. Being a young adult is rough, but having our own personal routine gives us some order and peace.
4. Socializing
If you are an extrovert like me, this is one of your favorites.
Making friends in college is by far the easiest thing to do. You can make a friend sitting next to someone alone at a lunch table, in the bookstore line or even at the coffee shop. In college, you are not forced to have just two friends for the rest of your college years. Not that having simply two friends are bad, but here is the thing, being around different people has taught me things about other cultures, events and perspectives. Learning these things has taught me how to be a better person and how to understand why a person is the way they are. My first year in college consisted of me talking and being friendly to anyone who crossed my path. Although not everyone became my best friend, I still met some great people who still say hello as they walk by me in town. However, I did meet some of my closest friends through other friendships I made during a simple chat. It's nice to socialize simply because it reminds you every day that you are not alone in your educational journey.
5. Prepared Foods
I am not sure how your college works, but at mine, we have these things called meal plans. If you live on campus, you have to have a meal plan or otherwise known as a card with food money. Living on campus last year I put my meal card to use. I am a huge food lover. My close friends know that food makes a positive difference in my mood. Being a food lover is not easy in college due to all of the college responsibilities. These responsibilities make making our own food at least three times a day quite difficult on us but mostly strains our bank accounts. Especially on those days where college decides to pile on the homework and exams.
During the summer everyone resorts back to making their own food. There are plenty of hours in the summer day to make 20 meals if need be. The fact is, it is nice to know as a college student that we have access to food that is prepared/made for us upon request.
Need a quick breakfast? Dining hall. Need a snack? Dining hall. Thirsty? Dining hall. It's fast, easy and convenient on our wallets. Not to mention that a dining hall is surely a true gift from above for those of us who still burn water.
6. Random events in the day.
Expect the unexpected. Anything, and I mean anything, could happen at college.
You could randomly make a new friend. You could try a new food served at the dining hall. Your crush might ask you if they could have lunch with you. You may find twenty dollars on the ground. Maybe the gym is empty when you attend which gives you a better workout. Maybe you will find a club of your interest or receive good news on your latest exam; the possibilities are endless at college. Although I have a routine in while in school, I have found that not every day was the exact same. Every day differs from the rest. For any college student, we all have our random events that we tell, or never tell, that have happened in a day.
For me, it was after being hit in the face with a volleyball that a cute boy finally worked up the courage to ask for my number.
Like I said, anything can happen.
7. Being a part of a community.
My favorite part about college is the college atmosphere.
You are surrounded by a diverse group of students your age. When you wear your school's logo it's like you are apart of something. A college is not represented by certain groups or people, college is represented by every student that calls their college home.
A college has a community where a student not only comes to learn but also meets new people, joins clubs and organizations, volunteers in programs that make a difference or even becomes a voice for the entire student body. Basically, a student becomes a member or an active citizen in the community in which they carry on after graduation.
There is no greater feeling than standing side by side with your peers cheering on your school's football team. There is no greater feeling than being a part of the school band (the band that hypes students for school events that is). There are many perspectives on this but the truth is, college is not like high school. You see in college, you actually belong somewhere. College is where people become a part of something bigger than themselves. It is where life-long memories are made and people find out who they are meant to be.
