For many college students, going home for the holidays is extremely relieving and exciting, but after the first few days of being home you’ll find that the shininess of you being back and attention from your family will dwindle. This isn’t on purpose, of course because after all your family members have lives that went on after you left for college and will continue on when you come to visit, which sometimes makes for some boring days. I’ve come up with a list of things to do when you’ve exhausted all your Netflix options.

• 1)Try a new lunch spot. Chances are, some things have changed in your neighborhood or city, so give that new little pizza place a shot even if you have to awkwardly avoid high school kids eating with their friends.
• 2)Bake something. If you don’t know how to cook (me), a nice break from school is a good time to learn. Hit up your local grocery store while avoiding people you knew from high school and get some goods for a new recipe.
• 3)Go for a run. If you’re a freshman, you will notice after going home that even though you said you wouldn’t gain weight, you probably did. Going for a run in the brisk December air is super rejuvenating and will provide some collateral for the holiday treats you will surely consume.
• 4)Pull out your old band instrument. I realize that this is a smaller population of us, but I for one have not touched my clarinet since senior year and think it will be pretty comical to try it out again. Will post updates.
• 5)Hang out with your pets. Let your cat or dog cuddle with you and get their fur all over your clothes because hey, they don’t do that when you’re at school so they probably miss it.
• 6)Go to the farmers’ market or local community spot. It can be fun to just browse and make small talk with people from your neighborhood, because you will seem so much more mature to them even though you’re not and everyone needs a good confidence boost every once in a while.
• 7)Go on a walk with your parents. Yes it’s probably pretty cold but if you hated the earlier exercise option, you could at least walk and talk with the people that raised you.
• 8)Hang out with your high school friends. As I get older I find that less and less of my old friends come home for breaks or they go on vacation or something, so it’s nice to even just catch up over coffee as to what they’ve been up to and reminisce.
• 9)Read a book. Reading for fun! What a concept this is now! Take a break from your required reading and just indulge in something that entertains you, even if it’s a comic book. It’s therapeutic and not your phone, so it’s a win-win.
• 10)Netflix. Okay, fine. You can watch Netflix again now.