Congratulations, you finally made it. You endured an entire semester’s worth of mind-numbingly difficult college classes, survived for four months on a diet primarily consisting of mac ‘n’ cheese and endless amounts of coffee, and even persevered (somewhat successfully) through the unspeakable horrors of finals week. It’s officially Christmas break, and these next few weeks at home are stretched out before you, blessedly free of stress and responsibilities.
But… what do you do now?
You’ve spent the past few months away from home, doing life all by yourself like a real adult (sort of), and now, suddenly, you’re back under your parents’ roof and not quite sure how to act. While it’s all very familiar, everything seems strange after being away for so long. It’s gong to take some getting used to, but to help ease the transition, here’s your guide to being home for the holidays:
Embrace this brief respite from schoolwork.
For a few short weeks, you don’t have to worry about completing homework assignments or writing papers or studying for exams. For the first time in a long time, you don’t have a deadline looming over your head and a mountain of work to do. Enjoy it because it won’t last long.
Sleep—a lot.
Staying in bed all day long is totally acceptable, and, in fact, it’s highly encouraged. Sweet dreams, my friends.
Be patient with your family.
Sure, you missed your family while you were at school and it’s great to see them again, but, at some point, they WILL start to get on your nerves. It’s pretty much inevitable because hey, it’s what they do. Just remember that even though they can be annoying, obnoxious and absolutely infuriating sometimes, they’re still your family and you love them anyways.
Develop strategic dinner plans that include all of your favorite meals.
This is your chance to actually eat some decent food, so take full advantage of it. Make a list of your must-have home-cooked meals and your all-time favorite hometown restaurants, and then make it a priority to check every single one of them off the list. Also, be sure to have plenty of plastic containers so you can bring a ton of leftovers back to school with you.
Resist the urge to text your ex from high school.
Just don’t do it. Hometown exes became exes for a reason, and that’s all I have to say about that.
Try to respect your parents’ rules and curfews.
You’ve gotten used to the complete freedom that comes along with college life, but now that you’re home, your parents may not be totally comfortable with letting you do whatever you want, whenever you want. Keep in mind that they’re just trying to keep you safe, but you may have to (ever so politely) remind them that you’re not a little kid anymore, thank you very much.
Reconnect with your old high school friends.
It’s so easy to drift apart when everyone goes off in different directions, but for a few weeks, you’re all back in the same place again. So get the old friend group back together—you have a lot of catching up to do, and let’s be honest, you missed them like crazy.
Remember that it won’t last forever.
Christmas break, like all good things, will eventually come to an end, and you’ll have to put on your big kid pants and go back to school (seriously, you’ve been wearing those same pajamas for six days straight). But it’s OK, because now you’re refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to take on the next chapter of the best four years of your life (or at least give it the good ol’ college try).
