I never thought I’d say this, but I’ve realized I like school more than summer. It’s actually painful for me to say that. As a kid, summer is the best time of the year. It’s when you hang out with friends all day, bike around your neighborhood, eat ice cream, go swimming and play wiffle ball in the backyard. But things have changed. It’s now expected that you work most days, which leaves little times for things like swimming, biking and backyard games (although I think I actually eat more ice cream now). It’s great making money and having a break from the classroom, but at a certain point, summer gets old. Here’s when you know you’re ready to ditch your hometown and get back to college life.
1. Your childhood bedroom just doesn’t cut it anymore.
OK, it was kind of nice at first. I enjoyed my lavender walls and princess bed sheets and colorful bedside lamps. But they don’t have the same appeal as they did when I was in a post-traumatic, emotional state the day after finals. Aside from all of that, I think it mostly comes down to the fact that I’ve (without a doubt) outgrown my twin-sized bed.
2. Homework and studying sounds better than work.
When you’re broke and exhausted from finals, it’s refreshing to work for a change. But by midsummer, it’s almost a form of torture to drag yourself from bed and go to work with the same coworkers, the same awful customers, and the accompanying fatigue every day. At least you can take breaks when you’re studying, which is more than you can say about your summer job. By law, you should be getting a break for a half hour every day when you work an eight-hour shift, but if you’re in the food industry like most college students, that doesn't usually happen.
3. You're often visibly distraught that you can’t see your friends at any given moment.
Having roommates is a wonderful thing. It means your best friends are down the hall for when you need to vent about something, share exciting news, or even just lay on their bed with them and stare at the ceiling. And any of your friends who aren’t your roommates are only a couple of blocks away! There’s something nice about being on campus and knowing you could run into anyone at any time. Unexpected encounters with old friends and acquaintances can spark some great conversations, which is more than you can say when you’re living in isolation at your parents’ house.
4. Your hometown is boring.
Whatever you did throughout your childhood is no longer fun. You’ve likely grown apart from most of your high school friends, and even if you haven’t, work schedules make it impossible to meet up with anybody. So you probably watch a lot of Netflix or read a lot of books or just sit.
5. You miss having a predictable schedule.
This is something you don’t appreciate until it’s gone. Knowing exactly when your classes and extracurriculars are makes life so much easier. And since there are limited times you can work, that’s pretty consistent, too. But the best part is everyone has their weekends off from school, so there are always, always, always people to go out with on Saturday nights.
6. You’re tired of your summer clothes.
When spring makes its first appearance and it finally hits 50 degrees (if you’re in Minnesota, that is), there is nothing more satisfying than resurrecting a favorite pair of shorts or a great sundress to enjoy the nice weather. Around late July or early August, you realize you only like about half of your summer wardrobe, and you basically wear the same thing at least once a week. That’s when fall boots and jeans and sweaters start to sound more appealing.
7. You often fantasize about how you’re going to decorate your room when you get back to school.
You probably come up with some really crafty, decorative ideas to make your room feel like home. But if you’re anything like me, you end the school year with the same blank walls that you began with. Not only is it hard to be crafty when you’re not a crafty person, but even if you put in a good effort, your projects never turn out how you wanted them too. Hence the empty walls.
8. You start packing a week or two before you actually get to leave because you’re so ready to go.
You pack outrageously early, and then, of course, you have to unpack to find something you thought you wouldn’t need. But it still feels good because it reminds you that your day of departure is nearing—sort of like reverse nesting if you think about it.
Summer is enjoyable for a little while. Beach days and bike rides and barbecues are great. But nothing competes with having all of your friends in one place. That’s college. And right now, there’s nothing better than college.
