As a college student who has just returned home for summer break, there are many things for me to look forward to in the upcoming months -- long beach days, seeing my beloved dog all the time, and catching up with old friends, to name a few from the highlight reel. But being home from school and having a break from classes doesn't always mean us college students are really taking a break. In order to feed the Domino's cheesy bread and Chinese food addictions we've all grown slaves to throughout the course of the school year, most of us have to suck it up and work at real jobs over the summer to make up for all the money we didn't have this past year but spent anyway, and save up for the next two semesters of the exact same behavior.
Although many of us have a great work ethic both in classes and in the jobs we work at, it's not always easy to make that transition at the end of a semester. We go from maybe 18 hours of class a week and essentially deciding our own flexible homework schedules to working a set 40 hours per week, and many of us make this fast transition within just a few days of moving back home. This, combined with the task of unpacking everything we've brought home with us, can make for a not so restful start to summer break.
Having a real schedule and accountability to more than just a few important weekly assignments are not things we are prepared for during our months away at college. At school, we can save an assignment until the night before its due, pull an all-nighter completing it in one sitting, and then spend the rest of the week as a zombie just trying to catch up on sleep and this is just considered the norm. We don't have to wear real clothes if we want to-- the worst that can happen if you wear sweatpants to class is risking judgement from your professor or peers-- although, the chances of this are slim to none because at school, no one really cares what you wear. During our four month long glimpse into the real world over the summer, we're forced to show up at the time we are expected, and have to accomplish a certain amount of tasks during our shifts. Jobs likely have a dress requirement that is not optional, and taking a mental health day to catch up on sleep is also not an option because unlike your professor, your boss takes attendance.
Going from a college student's schedule to having a real schedule is not always a smooth transition. On top of these new expectations, we also want to prioritize the fun parts that we've always associated with summer break, such as taking day trips and seeing friends. These also have to now be planned on other people's busy schedules as well.
If there's one thing most college students can realize from our summer months spent working, it's that we are not at all ready for the real world and should savor our sweatpants-wearing days of all-nighters and late night food for as long as possible-- Before you know it, the real world will be our world!
