The return to campus for the second semester can bring lots of emotions for every Fairfield student. For me, it brings excitement, motivation and a little bit of relief. While I enjoyed getting to spend time at home with my family and friends, my first college winter break was admittedly not all it was hyped up to be. In fact, I think that the concept of winter break is overrated as a whole.
The biggest excitement about winter break is that it comes right after finals season. The constant cramming, the overnighters in the library and the amount of papers and exams that come with the weeks leading up to winter break make it sound like heaven. The draw is that after working hard for weeks, we get a month off to do “absolutely nothing”. But “absolutely nothing” is not quite as appealing as it sounds.
As someone who thrives on routine, the lack of items on my to-do list over winter break makes me feel unproductive and even lazy. While it is nice not to have to go to class every day, with no responsibilities to attend to, the empty days tend to blur together and feel monotonous. As a college student, I find that I really thrive on having a little bit of pressure to be productive in order to fill my days.
Additionally, without having certain things that need to be done throughout the day, there is nothing stopping me from sleeping in as late as I want. Winter break allows for lots of time to catch up on sleep, which is great, but it also allows for a messy sleep schedule that makes it harder to readjust to early classes back at school.
While winter break comes with an abundance of family time, it can also come with a lack of freedom. In college, I find that I can make more of my own decisions, and I can go about my plans without having to worry about other factors. At home, I have to make sure that my younger brother isn’t using my car on a night that I want to use it, and my parents typically ask me for the details of my plans for the day. Additionally, the responsibility of completing certain chores around the house and other expectations that I have while being home make me miss being at college.
Of course, one of the hardest parts about being away from school is missing the friendships that I built during my first semester here at Fairfield. I have made so many amazing friends at college, and going from seeing them every day to not at all for a whole month is a really difficult switch to make. While I, of course, love spending time with my friends from high school, there is something special about the bond that I made with my college friends that I missed dearly while being home.
Winter break can be filled with fun, relaxation and time to recharge. However, from my experience, the month away from Fairfield was not as wonderful as it is hyped up to be, and reminded me that there is no place like my home away from home.
