My first summer home from college just ended. Now, nestled back in my college dorm room, I am surprised at my range of emotions over the last three months.
Going Back To College At The End Of Summer Vacation
For starters, how unready I was to leave school and start summer surprised me. In high school, I constantly had a mental countdown running to the nearest break. And once that break finally arrived, I always felt as though I would have collapsed if I had had to wait just one more day. I was overworked and overtired and stressed about school and college.
And while I definitely counted down the days to the end of final exams last spring, I was not so desperate for summer to start. In fact, I was sad for school to end. I would have to say goodbye to my new friends. I’d have to leave a place where something fun was always going on and cool people were always on hand.
Once I got home, though, I was so excited to be reunited with my family and friends. I quickly fell back into my home life routine. I started driving myself everywhere instead of walking and going to all of my favorite hometown restaurants with friends. Sometimes, my family annoyed me. I’d wish I were living with my four college flatmates instead of my four immediate relatives. Still, I loved the warm weather (I go to college on the Scottish coast) and being back with everyone who I missed so much during the year.
Ready to Go Back
I spent my summer as a nanny. And while it was a great, well-paying summer gig with a lovely family, I definitely worried about my future summer plans. Some of my friends had impressive internships or exciting travel plans. I spent a lot of time griping with my fellow local friends about how hard it is to find a paid and enjoyable summer job that also qualifies as professional experience. This may be an impossible goal, but I feel like it is what I need to be doing during my college summers if I want to get a job after I graduate. With one year of college under my belt, the pressure to succeed both in school and out has only increased. I’m no longer stressed about college plans like I was in high school. Now real life worries me.
For the first time, though, when summer did end, I wasn’t desolate. I had spent the second half of the summer counting down to when school started again—a wholly foreign, but pleasant, feeling. Unlike last summer, when I was full of anxiety and expectations about my impending college start, this summer was much more relaxing. And I knew what a great place was waiting for me at the other end.
