In the popular movie “Billy Madison,” Adam Sandler sings, “Back to school, back to school, to prove to dad that I’m not a fool.” Many college students can relate to that, especially when they’re heading back for their second semester.
No matter what year students may be in, the second semester is the time to put their old classes in the past, reunite with friends, and attempt to bring up their GPAs. But after a month of Mom’s homemade food, sleeping in your own bed, and showering in your own shower, going back isn’t always as easy as one may think.
As a junior, I live off-campus, so I get to cook my own food and only one other person uses the same things as I do. I lived on-campus for the first two years however, so I had my fair share of dining hall food and waking up at 3 am on Wednesday mornings because people were screaming outside my dorm hall. Still, I didn’t really understand appreciation until I came home for my first Christmas break my freshman year and I could shower without sandals on. Going back to that was definatly a little rough.
Junior Stephanie Hamilton, who lives in the Great Lawn apartments, said getting readjusted to being back at school is hard. “You get so used to having your parents go food shopping for you, your laundry being done, and everything in the house always being cleaned.”
Hamilton added, “It’s also a change going from having your own space, especially your own bedroom, then going back to sharing everything with roommates.”
Junior Chrissy Deliberti, who lives in a house off-campus, agreed. “After spending a month with your family, you get used to their routines again. You’re used to seeing your parents, siblings and pets on a everyday basis, something that you can’t do if you live at school.” She added, “It’s nice to see your family everyday, especially during the holidays. You see family members you don’t usually get to see and people are generally happier when in the Christmas spirit. It’s definitely nice to come back and have your own space though, I think everyone at this age needs some time away from their families, even if you’re close with them.”
Dr. Eleanor Novek, associate professor of communication, agreed that it is tough to readjust after break. “Having to use the alarm clock again instead of naturally waking up is an abrupt way to start the day. I really enjoyed being able to catch up on sleep. But it is nice seeing everyone again.”
Novek added, “One thing that is hard for professors in the beginning of the semester is learning 50-60 new names.”
As finals wrapped up last semester, I was itching to get back home. After many sleepless nights, countless hours of typing papers and studying things I was probably not really comprehending, the only thing that was pushing me through was getting to see my family. The thought of sleeping in my own bed for about a week straight didn’t hurt either. No matter how much I decorated my off-campus house, it didn’t compare to the elaborate display my mom pulled out, complete with every snowman figurine known to mankind. Needless to say, I wanted to be home.
As break went on, I was so happy to be able to lay around my own house and be with my family and friends. Yet as soon as my mom starting asking me to do chores around the house again, I know it was about that time to go back to school. Now that we’re back, it’s time to get back into school mode, focus on our new classes, and get used to typing papers again, all while managing to have social lives. Like Billy Madison said, lets all try to prove to our parents that we’re not fools. Because if you think about it, there’s only a short four months until we’re back with our families again.
IMAGE TAKEN from huffingtonpost.com
