It’s that time again. The end of the school year is drawing near and the nostalgia is beginning to set in. While we’re all anticipating the summer freedom, there are just some things about college that we’ll miss during summer break. Don’t get me wrong, not everything here at TCNJ is sunshine and roses, but it’s our school and we take pride in all of its little quirks. Before leaving for our summer endeavors, let’s take a look at the things we’ll miss most about TCNJ as well as the things that, well, let’s just say we won’t mind waiting until next semester to deal with again.
5 Things We WON’T Miss About TCNJ:
The construction noises
Campus Town, Holman Hall, the front entrance – the list of campus construction projects goes on and on. The pathway closures and excess amount of vehicles driving on the walkways make it even more difficult to trek across campus. It’s going to be nice not being woken up in the morning by the sounds of the loaders and excavators.
The lines for the Wok
The lines in Eick are bad enough already, but the line for the Wok… forget it! By the time you actually get your food you’re not even hungry anymore because you had to snack on something else while waiting to subside your hunger pains. Not to mention the raging anger that takes over if someone cuts in line or worse, jacks your wok.
Random evacuations
Granted it doesn’t happen too often at TCNJ, but we know that when we go home we don’t have to worry about being evacuated from our houses due to a gas leak. Or having men in HAZMAT suits quarantining everything because of Benzyl Bromide. Not to mention not getting notified about the situations until after you’re already affected by it.
The struggle of Quimby’s Prairie pathway
If you’re a girl wearing a pair of heels and you have to choose between taking the shortcut through the prairie pathway or going the long way around, you choose the long way around. Not only is this path not collegiette-friendly, but those missing bricks will make anyone and everyone take an embarrassing stumble. The only safe way to cross this path is by balancing on the sidelines of concrete… challenge accepted!
The smell of the TCNJ trees
There’s nothing like walking through campus on a beautiful spring day and smelling the sweet smell of… just kidding, there is nothing sweet about the smell on campus. No one seems to know the name of those big white trees, but we all secretly have our own (inappropriate) nicknames for them. I can almost guarantee that this is one thing that no one will miss during the summer.
5 Things We WILL Miss About TCNJ:
The coffee consumptions
Let’s face it, you drink way more coffee in college than you do at home. But how could you not with all of the macchiato, latte and Frappuccino flavor combinations available with a swipe of a card? After all, you do have tons of points that you need use up before the end of the year, right?
Free/cheap events
Where else can you go to see famous comedians, reality TV stars or music artists for free or for under 15 bucks? We love when TCNJ provides us with fun things to do that are also easy on our wallets. Don’t really know who the band is that’s playing at the RAT? Who cares, it’s free!
T-Dubs at 1:00 a.m.
Nothing can replace satisfying that fried, greasy food craving at 1 a.m. quite like T-Dubs can. We are all going to miss the late nights with our friends, eating mozzarella sticks and fried mac n’ cheese, and leaving smelling like you rolled in a batter of fried dough. You might feel sick afterwards, but we can all agree it’s well worth it.
Independence
College gives us all a certain independence that we don’t have at home. We have learned to take care of ourselves, feed ourselves, and even do our own laundry. We’ve become accustomed to not having someone ask where we are going or calling to make sure we are home by curfew. While it’s going to be nice being home and in the company of your family, you’ll miss the complete freedom you had at school.
Friends
Last, but most certainly not least, we will of course miss our precious TCNJ friends! There’s nothing like late night trips to the C-store, staying up late and walking the streets of Ewing with your best buddies. Even though most of us are in-staters, it’s not as easy as taking a 5-minute walk to your friend’s dorm to have a fun-filled night. Though we will miss our friends over break, we can look forward to seeing them again in the new school year ahead!