There's something about summertime. Though summer is not my favorite season, there's just something about the season that makes it hard to hate. The end of the school year, the sleeping till noon, and the days by the pool are enough to make the High School Musical kid in any of us get excited. Let's take a moment to appreciate what summer means to college students.
When the last day of the school year rolls around, the excitement in every school building is tangible. Every student can relate to that feeling of anticipation. Summer means no more papers, no more studying, and most importantly, no more exams. You've worked hard for the last school year, and your time has come! You realize that this will be the last time you see your friends for a while, especially if they live far away from you. Your last days on campus are bittersweet and it leads to you wondering, "Why can't we just take our friends home with us?". But when the last day does come around, all you can feel is the relief. As you head home, you look forward to relaxing, and giving yourself some well earned rest.
Summer brings sunshine, suntans, and the inevitable sunburn. You have no school related responsibilities. You see people from your hometown and from high school that you had almost forgotten about while you were away. You see relatives that were definitely forgotten about. You spend days by the pool and maybe at a summer job. You spend time with each member of your family. You enjoy longer days and warm summer nights. You are home, and everything is right in the world. Almost.
One day, it happens. You realize that even though you are at home, you are homesick. You are homesick for your school. You miss having something to do every day, and meals cooked for you in the dining hall. You miss study sessions and spontaneous road trips. You miss the area your school is in and the things you could do there. But most of all, you miss your friends. You can tag each other in memes on Facebook, text, or even call each other, but you still miss them. You miss the late night study sessions featuring junk food. You miss the car rides, the walks around campus, and the laughter of shared University experiences.
Summer is bittersweet for college students, because while you can have all the free time in the world, it isn't the same without the people you've shared the last year of your life with. But school will start again before you know it, and when it does it will bring chaos. So enjoy your summer. Relax. And know that you will be back to your home away from home and all the people you've missed sooner than you think.
