Let's face it, college is very different from home. You have different friends, classes, family, and it's a big adjustment to go from having so much freedom at school to being at home again. They're not all bad changes, but they're things that you need to get used to. Just focus on the good: you have a break and you get to see your family and friends and enjoy some stress-free time!

At school staying up until midnight or later is the norm. Whether you're doing work, hanging out with friends, or binge-watching Netflix, college students rarely get enough sleep, much less go to bed early. At home my mother is in bed by nine at night and then awakens at six in the morning.

So, whether I am watching TV until midnight or she is vacuuming by eight in the morning, it can be hard to adjust. Not to mention, that going out to a party with your friends until 2:00 a.m. and then walking back to your dorm and hanging out isn’t exactly an option at home. It's not that you can’t go out and have a good time, but whether you are working or just have disapproving parents, there's no more frat parties for you over winter break and it can sometimes feel like prison rather than home. Just remember that spring semester will come sooner than you think and you'll be missing them again.

It's time to focus on the good. There is usually less stress at home than at school. Yes, family drama, work, and other things going on in your life will be stressful, but not having to write essays weekly and study for exams is a definite relief after a long semester of hard work.

I think that this is pretty straightforward, but you are finally escaping dining hall food. Eating salads, pasta and chicken, since August has inevitably gotten old. Now you can have some home-cooked meals from mom and grandma.

Also, at home you have an entire kitchen full of food at your fingertips. In my dorm room, I have a box filled with Nutella, peanut butter, granola bars, and a can or two of soup. In my refrigerator, there are always pickles and cheese sticks. So, it's not the healthiest diet choices when I need a quick lunch and I end up calling two pickles and a cheese stick a meal.

Let's not forget that you haven't seen your crazy and dysfunctional family since Thanksgiving! Also, with the holidays coming up, you are likely to see some extended family this season. Enjoy time home with family, friends and pets, because you'll have to say a temporary goodbye again in January for the spring semester. Don't stress though, you have plenty of time for hugs, kisses and a quick catch up of the latest gossip in your life.