Now I love college. Whenever summer is drawing to a close, all I can think about is how much I want to be back in the good old Dirty Mead. But come early November, I become a mix of drained and stir crazy. And all I can think about is getting back home. I miss my family, I miss my friends, and to the surprise of many people, I miss New Jersey. But it goes beyond just being homesick. This being my third year, I've learned that I get into the same rut every single year. And all the signs are now in full bloom, and it's time to take note of them.

I've had a beard since the beginning of freshman year. But, since I'm a civilized human being, I keep it trimmed. Except the fall semester of college. In the fall, I grow my football beard, and let my hair and beard throughout the whole season. At the best of times, I have a pretty thick beard. But come the second week of November, I have hair hanging in front of my eyes, and a beard so big it looks like I should be in the bayou, speaking Creole and trying to catch gators.

Like everyone else, I get sick of cafeteria food, and to be fair, this year I've been eating much less of it. But all the same, I get sick of the same mediocre food re hydrated in a tray day in and day out. Now when I get home, its not like I'm eating three course meals from a five star restaurant, but it is always nice to have a big place of home made chicken and pesto when i get home.

All student athletes will understand this part. Like every athlete, I love my sport. I dedicate hours a week to it, and when I don't have it I miss it like crazy. But football has a very long season. It starts in the second week of August with football every day, and ends with the final game in November. By the last couple of weeks of the season, the several months before begin to wear on you. You feel like your falling apart at the seams, and the nagging injuries that you had had all season are finally catching up with you. And even though you love your sport, all you can think of is how much you just want a morning without lifting, and a night without practice.

Finally, at the beginning of the semester, I buy a lot of things in bulk, from shampoo to band aids. And now is always about the time where I can start to feel the strain of them running out. No matter how good you budget, by Thanksgiving you are going to be using every trick in the book to squeeze the most out of your supplies.

And that is why I need break to come, like right now.