Each summer, college students all over the country are bombarded with the questions:
"How was your year?"
"What are you up to this summer?"
"Did you get a job or internship?"
"Are you ready to go back?"
The last question is always a no-brainer -- of course I'm ready to go back. However, I haven't asked myself why that answer is always, yes, until recently.
Why am I ready to go back to a place where I am completely responsible for everything I do and am loaded with hours upon hours of course work every week?
One thing is for sure, being at school is a lot easier than being at home for the summer. Your friends are right down the hall or across campus and you can practically do whatever you want with them when you want -- last minute plans have become one of my favorite things in college. Want to check out the new bookstore or coffee shop? Grab one of your friends; someone is bound to be free.
I also think that school work is so much simpler than being in the workforce. Yes, some jobs or internships are great and you will never want to leave them, but there are some that just suck all of the energy out of you and you would honestly rather read your textbook for your political science class (hence, why I decided to take a summer class this year). You can better plan your time because you make your own schedule instead of someone else deciding when you are going to come in to get your work done.
I believe that at school, I am more motivated to get things done. I do what's necessary, I'm social, I clean my room, do my laundry and write more than I do over the summer in a timely manner. It's like because you know you're there for a reason, you are more determined to check everything off of your to-do list.
A sense of normalcy also comes with being at school. I can not tell you how weird it was coming home this summer and while I was relieved at first to be home with no responsibilities, this soon turned into a waiting period, counting down the slow days until I made it back on campus.
However, I think the thing that I love most about being back at school is that my school comes with endless opportunities. From studying abroad to completing service learning, there is always something that you can do to get ahead. In fact, Elon even requires it's students to complete two out of five Experiential Learnings, but in all honesty, we want to complete them all. I have found that Elon does not take no for an answer and they will do whatever they can to help you succeed. Nothing is too out of your reach and that's the thing I miss the most. You can become whatever you desire to be at Elon, you just have to knock.