So you’ve spent the past month on your parents’ couch, seeing old friends from high school, and constantly eating ... by now, the feeling has started to set in that it’s time to start doing something with your life again. You start to reminisce about Thirsty Thursday's with your brothers or sisters and the socials to be had in the upcoming semester. You think about the opportunities for an internships as well as that one class you're looking forward to taking because it actually has relevance to your major, and you suddenly realize that you are excited to go back to school. Then the worry sets in: Does this mean you're growing up? The fact that we would rather be pushing pencils and putting ourselves back into a routine of studying for endless hours while at the same time trying to balance work and an active social life? The truth is, it does, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re becoming boring old adults. It means that we’ve actually started to find significant meaning in our lives and have become relevant members of society.
It is also true that we should take full advantage of these month long, ridiculous breaks, because unless you are studying to be a teacher, these breaks won’t exist for much longer. The truth is, we just are growing out of spending endless amounts of time at home. When we moved, we established a life other than the one in which we grew up. We left the security of home for a reason, and as we grow older, that reason becomes ever more clear. Not only is this part of becoming an adult, but also how you find your true identity. You establish new groups of friends who you can grow with and who will be there for you when your parents cannot. You create a home within this new place that you now call “home.” You get used to your new daily routines and no longer consult your parents for things, and once adjusted, this life is hard to leave. It’s perfectly normal to get bored at home after a while, and it doesn’t make going home any less important; it’s just that we set out for a bigger life with even bigger goals, and these things can only be accomplished when we’re away and focused.
So take this last week of winter break to look forward to school rather than dread the work ahead. Try to think less about exams and more about seeing your friends and getting back on track with things other than endless TV and all too familiar conversations about what you’re doing with your life. Imagine doing great things and how you will accomplish your goals, and maybe even think about new things you can accomplish this upcoming semester such as those New Year's resolutions or a new class you can take.
Spend less time on breaks feeling bored and more time being happy and established in a new place you can call home.
