All right, Captains. We’ve survived a full two weeks of spring semester, and the newness is beginning to wear off. At first, it was awesome being back at school. We were getting antsy sitting at home with nothing to do … We all started missing our friends from school … And we were dying to return to the independence that college life provides. But, as the rise and grind routine becomes normal again and we start to really get into our classes, I know that deep down, we’re all missing winter break just a little bit. Here’s the top five struggles of being back at school for a new semester.
1) Realizing that you actually have to be productive.
I don’t know about you, but I think I was in denial the entire first week of classes. I had zero desire to BUY a textbook, let alone OPEN it. For some reason, being back at school made even the simple task of getting off the couch seem as difficult as climbing Mount Everest. The realization that I could no longer spend all day, every day in bed watching Netflix was a reality too harsh to comprehend, and the withdrawal process was not easy. It was a major struggle not pushing everything off ’til a far away “tomorrow” and convincing myself that I did need to get out of bed and complete my homework assignments.
2) It’s an Arctic tundra out there!
Why do they call it “spring” semester anyway?! There is nothing spring-like about the weather we have faced already since returning to school. I’m fairly certain that thermostats everywhere are lying, and it’s actually an average of -47 degrees in Newport News right now. Nothing makes you want to go to class less than knowing that if you go outside, you might contract hypothermia before you reach your classroom.
3) Having to wake up before noon.
Closely related to number one, number three really hit me hard upon my return to Christopher Newport. To be honest, I had forgotten what the “a.m.” symbol on my alarm clock looked like. I swear, the earlier it is, the more comfortable my bed feels. It’s definitely not easy to wake up when parting from my bed is such sweet, sweet sorrow.
4) Coming up with outfits again.
No longer can I just roll out of bed and spend the entire day wearing a onesie with my hair in a bun; I now have to look socially acceptable every morning. Putting on makeup and “real clothes” is something I did probably four times over break. I’m not going to lie to you, it was fun putting together new outfits and looking nice for the first week of classes, but I’ve reached a dilemma. I’m running out of sweaters and boot socks. I can only be cute and basic for so long before I run out of options!
5) Missing mom’s cooking.
This was one of the big ones for me. Christopher Newport has really good food. (Come on, y’all, if you deny it, you’re just being picky.) But there’s something about a home-cooked meal that just can’t be beat, and I really miss it when I go back to school. Knowing that my family is sitting at the table eating something delicious without me makes me miss winter break just a little bit more. General Tso’s and buffalo chicken wraps are great, but nothing can top mom’s cooking.
So, those are the top five things that I think we’re probably all struggling with the most since being back at school. However, re-reading through the list, I’m realizing that, if you look at it the right way, all of those dilemmas can be easily solved.
Being productive is hard to readjust to, but you’re back with your best friends in the world. Make a study group and knock out the homework together. Yes, it’s absolutely freezing outside, but you KNOW you want to bundle up and go take pictures in the snow so you can have a new profile picture. Waking up seems like absolute death, but why not cook a pancake breakfast with your suite to make the getting out of bed process a little easier? You might be running out of new clothes, but roommates are lifesavers in that situation. If you think about it, you each have two full wardrobes! If you’re missing family dinners, gather up your friends and go out to dinner. Sitting around a table laughing with them will make you feel at home again.
Being back at school might seem like the ultimate struggle right now. And yeah … Sometimes it’s hard. But look at the bright side of things! The pros totally outweigh the cons. Enjoy your time at CNU, notice the little things, and remember that spring break is right around the corner.