“Back to college” tends to carry a much more positive connotation than the classic “back to school” phrase. When you’re in elementary school, middle school, and even high school, the end of summer can be a very daunting time. Once you’re in college, it is typically quite the opposite. You begin counting down the days that you go back to school almost the moment that it ends.
Preparing to go back to college is something amusing in itself. Even though you feel old and weird knocking down first graders in Target’s back to school section, you still need some basic school supplies. You don’t have teachers sending you on a wild goose chase for glitter glue and six different colored folders, but you still need a number two pencil for exams. After your freshman year, you will learn that you don’t have to Costco-size everything that you buy. You will only end up with six unopened bottles of shampoo at the end of the year. But, that’s all part of learning. Shopping itself is enough to make you anxious to get back to school. You typically gain creativity privileges as you move up the ranks with your living arrangements. Yet even in the dorms, there are ways to incorporate little bits and pieces of your personality into the room.
It is such a strange notion that going back to school can be exciting, but it is actually entirely justified if you think about it. When you head off to college and live in a dorm, an apartment, or a house you have independence. For those brief months in the summer that you may reside under your parent’s roof, a little bit of that sweet freedom gets taken away. It’s nice to go back to arranging your own schedule and getting what you want out of your days. You won’t have to worry about waking your younger siblings when you sneak in the door at 2 a.m., dealing with your parents’ lack of faith in your level of responsibility, or the fear of being judged for your third visit to Chipotle this week.
In addition to having some freedom back, you also get to see some of your best friends again. Yes, of course it is nice to see old high school friends during the summer, but there is something special about the bond that you share with your college friends. You guys spend a lot of time together studying for classes, having late night chats at sleepovers, and living it up on the weekends. So, it will definitely be nice to get back into your routine with them. Even seeing a familiar face from your freshman year English class can remind you how happy you are to be back. You may even be excited to see great professors, advisers, or dean that you got to know well. Those are always good connections to make when you need help taking steps into the real world.
You aren’t totally dreading classes. I know it’s crazy, but especially as you get further into your major classes, it can actually be exciting to go to class. No, it still isn’t fun waking up at 8 a.m. and walking in the snow to go to take a test. However, when you are taking classes that you are interested in and pertain to things that you are passionate about, it can make the coursework a little more bearable. If you are in the right major and have finished some of the miscellaneous degree requirements, your classes will start to really intrigue you. That’s really what college is all about: allowing yourself to find something that you enjoy so much that you want to do it for the rest of your life. Once you find that passion, it’s exceedingly easier to put the work into it.