In honor of finally being home from school, I've decided to compile some of my most prominent pros and cons of the transition from college life back to home life. Hope you all enjoy!
Cons:
1. Unpacking -- When you're packing up your dorm to go home, it feels as if nothing could be worse than trying to fit all of your stuff in boxes and then in your car...until you get home and remember how much stuff you already have there. It's like merging two lanes of traffic into one: a horribly painful experience that takes a ridiculously long time. I, for one, always seem to forget how much extra junk I have in my room at home until I'm combining everything again and realize none of it fits anywhere. I believe the most commonly used phrase for this part of the transition is: "Sorry, Mom, my dorm exploded all over the house."
2. Less freedom -- It's always easy to forget what it's like at home, when you and your high school friends actually have to pick a specific time to hang out, make sure it's okay with parents, and drive to wherever the preferred hangout spot is. Everything is a way bigger deal when you and your friends live in separate houses as opposed to separate dorm buildings. Then there are always those couple of friends who have super strict parents that make everything even more complicated despite the fact that we are literally adults who live "on our own" a majority of the year.
3. Food -- People may complain about your school's dining hall, but you can't deny that it's super convenient to have food ready made for you most of the time. I know I've only been home for a week and I already miss being able to run into the dining hall just to grab some coffee and a bagel. Now I have to make my own coffee (gasp) or actually go out and buy my own bagels (oh the horror).
Pros:
1. Privacy -- Now of course it's nice to always have the option of seeing friends whenever you want, but everyone needs some alone time at some point or another. College doesn't exactly make that easy given the fact that nearly everyone has a roommate. Being home makes me really appreciate having my very own room again.
2. Clothes -- No matter where you go at school, someone is going to see you. Even if you're just walking down the hall to the bathroom or going to the dining hall for some cereal at ten at night, someone you know is inevitably going to see you. When I'm at home, I can wear the same thing however much I want and no one would notice, and that is just a great feeling to me.
3. Food -- Yes, this is both a pro and a con, because while it's nice to have elaborate meals cooked for me, I also get some sort of accomplished feeling out of cooking for myself. A part of me also knows that I am eventually going to reach a point in my life where I won't have a meal plan and will actually have to cook for myself and even buy groceries for myself. That part of me is what motivates me to cook for myself when I come home from college. I figure the more I learn now, the easier it'll be when I'm really on my own. Plus I always get a beautiful feeling of satisfaction when I'm eating something that is completely homemade by yours truly.
