So it's sweet, sweet summertime now. You're at home just like any other summer. The difference is all of the wonderful college friends you have made aren't just a few steps away like they used to be during the year. At a smaller private school like Richmond, students come from all over - from Connecticut to Hawaii to London including Richmond locals, like me. The diversity of backgrounds is something I've grown to love about Richmond, but it is unfortunately not very conducive to accessible friendships during the summer. Wherever you go, though, you'll always make friends outside of your hometown. Although you may no longer be able to go knock on your best friend's door down the hallway when you're at home, that doesn't mean they won't be down to Skype every now and then to catch up on life together. Life at home and life at school are two very different animals.
For those of you reading this who haven't even gone to college yet, you will begin to realize this after your first longer break home in the winter. Toward the end of tiresome exam weeks, all you can dream of is your luxurious full or queen size bed at home in your very own room. However, once you get home, you'll begin to miss that consistent company of your roommate that you came to take for granted. Both situations are different, but both of them are fulfilling in their own ways.
It's a Saturday morning and you wake up starving but much too tired to walk to D-hall. Well, at home, all you have to do is walk downstairs and pop some frozen pancakes in the microwave. But, when you're at home having those microwaveable pancakes, you'll be thinking of the times at school when you had to take the seemingly endless trip to D-hall with a rewarding weekend brunch waiting for you at the opposite end of campus that never disappointed - everything from omelettes to a healthy fruit bar, you never left D-hall unsatisfied.
For the first couple of weeks being home, your sleeping patterns have to adjust to something more "normal." This means that your mom will probably start getting concerned when you're taking your third nap of the day because you were up super late. The college sleeping schedule is something unique to everyone, but all can agree that it's everything but normal.
The biggest adjustment you feel is going from being constantly surrounded by people at school to sometimes just being by yourself at home. College gives you the opportunity to branch out and meet so many different people in a socially conducive environment whereas being at home allows you to take a step back from everything and have some time to yourself. It is easy at school to get caught up in all of the business and craziness of all that is going on, but at home, with some more downtime, it is nice to just have a little well-deserved time to yourself.
While I'm already counting down the days until I can return to college life, I am reminding myself that having some time at home is a great thing too. It has allowed me to do some of the things I love to do, but sometimes don't necessarily have time to at school. It is also very rewarding to see so many friends enjoying the time at home that they missed during the school year when they were truly "away" from home. I cannot wait to see everyone in August, and am especially excited to meet the freshman and hopefully make them feel as comfortable in their adjustment to college life as the upperclassmen this past year have made me feel. Until then, I'll enjoy my mom doing my laundry for me.
