As we all return back to college after our generously long winter break, we are ready to see our school friends and gain our newfound independence back. What we don't realize in the midst of our excitement to be back is that there are a few things that we didn't really miss about the whole college experience.
1. Shower Shoes
At home, we are given the luxury of taking a warm, comfortable shower. But here at college, we are almost expected to take a shower with a cheap pair of flip flops on to avoid weird looks from all the other people that we share our bathroom with. On top of that, we are scared into wearing them from all the horror stories that we have heard about dorm showers.
2. The Dining Hall
Nothing can beat mom's home cooked meals—especially not the school dining hall. Sure, we are given endless options to choose at every meal, but the quality, well, all I can really say is that at UW La Crosse, we don't call Whitney dining hall "Shitney" for nothing.
3. My Loft
I can speak for all of us college students when I say I savored every single minute that I got to spend in my bed over break. Climbing up what seems like Mt. Everest to get into my twin xl bed is not what I want to do after a stressful day at school.
4. Stress
The reason we are all at college is to get that degree and start our lives. But with that, no doubt, comes the stress. It's not all about the degree any more, it is just a part of the resume. Now us students are concerned about volunteer hours, part time jobs, clubs, and internship opportunities all on top of keeping our GPAs up. There is only so much one person can handle, and by the middle of the semester, we will definitely be ready for spring break.
5. The Stairs
At home, we maybe climb a single flight of stairs to get to our bedrooms a few times a day. Here at school, the struggle is real. Every time we want to go to our dorm, we have to climb 10 flights a stairs. And let's not even start with the lectures that we have on the top floor of Centennial Hall. On top of that, it seems like we are always running on a tight schedule, so we are sprinting those stairs like we are training for the Olympics.
6. The Germs
Sure, you meet a lot of cool people at college, but your true best friend is NyQuil. Living with over 100 of your peers leaves you constantly surrounded by germs. Usually you are reminded of this at the worst times, like the annual finals week cold that literally everyone catches.
7. The Irregular Sleep Schedule
A lot of you will argue that, over break, your sleep schedule was super irregular, but the difference is that at home you were at least given the opportunity to catch up on your sleep. At college, sleep seems to be more like a continuous nap schedule and never really a true night of sleep. You stay up late studying, are up early for class, and are just trying to squeeze in a few minutes of sleep whenever you have the chance!
