After a three week break (and a several week writing hiatus), I'm finally back at WPI and gearing in for a science-heavy C-term. In all honesty, however, I'm ready to get back to class. It may be because I'm a nerd, but going back to school hasn't been the worst thing for me in my lifetime.
Sure, in high school everyone appreciates the longest break of the school year and dreads going back to classes (usually right after New Year's for the high school I graduated from). With the exception of a two week long winter break and a week off for spring break, high school students don't get much school off except for the occasional holiday. Even when these students do have school off, chances are they still have some sort of school work to do. Usually homework, a project, or even a final to complete.
Transition to college now. Finals are over and there's finally a bit of wiggle room to breathe. No work, and this is one of the few times your friends from high school are in town at the same time you are. This is also one of the few extended periods of time that actually allows you to see your friends from high school unless they live in vicinity to you. Of course, you also get to see your family and your pets (if you don't get home that often). But it all gets a little bit old after a while.
Don't get me wrong, I love going home and seeing my family and my friends, but it gets old. It's no one's fault that this happens. It just happens. For multiple reasons.
For starters, you start to miss your friends from college because you don't see them every day over break. While it is nice to see your old friends and catch up, you know there's stories that your college friends will have when you get back. You'll have your own stories to share with them as well.
Going back home, you also get thrown out of your daily routine. Personally, I went from being an early riser to sleeping in until noon over break. There was also so much time freed up by not having a workload that I had absolutely no idea what to do with myself and absolutely no motivation to do anything. I changed from a person who must keep everything clean to a mild version of a slob. Personally, that's not the lifestyle for me. I'm that person who has to be doing something and who has to be organized. With break, I didn't have time to establish a schedule for myself before having to pack and go back to school.
Finally, maybe you appreciate living on your own. I love my family, but I enjoy the freedom I get from living out of state. Of course, I still talk to my parents on a weekly basis, but I don't miss my parents wanting to have a conversation with me when I'm trying to study. Or having to admit to them that I really didn't do anything interesting while they were at work.
Overall, while winter break is nice, it can be overrated. Maybe it's just how I am. Maybe the other college students I've talked to who are sick of break agree with my reasons, or have reasons of their own.
