Whether it’s your first winter break as a college student or your fourth, surviving winter break isn’t as easy as it seems. Although most students can’t wait to rush home after finals, it takes just a few weeks at home until they are anxiously waiting to come back to Amherst. Here are a few of my tips to make your five weeks at home the best they can be!
1. Hang out with your parents
If you haven’t figured it out already, your parents are the greatest support system you could ever ask for. Your parents sacrifice a lot to put you through college, so does it really hurt to spend some time with them? Not only will it mean the world to your parents, they’ll probably want to share some of their own crazy college stories with you.
2. Bring your laundry home
No matter if you’ve only done laundry twice all semester, bring it home. Your clothes can use a break from the faulty machines in the dorms, and your mom will secretly be ecstatic that you still need her help.
3. Don’t freak out if your parents try to enforce new rules
When I went home for winter break freshman year, my mom tried to tell me that I had a 12:30 curfew, whereas before I went away to college I didn’t have any curfew. I argued with her for hours only to realize a few nights later that she didn’t plan on enforcing her new curfew idea. Just like it’s weird for you to get used to following your parents’ rules again, it’s weird for your parents to enforce their rules because you’ve been gone for so long. Don’t worry, your parents will start to see you as more of an adult and an individual than their five-year-old princess, but it will take some time.
4. Eat dinner at home sometimes
Although UMass has some of the best dining hall food in the country, nothing beats a home cooked meal with your family. Want even more brownie points? Give your mom a break and cook dinner for your family! Your parents will be impressed (no matter how simple the dinner is).
5. Don’t sleep the day away
While it’s totally acceptable to sleep in (you are on break after all), your parents will easily start to get annoyed with you if you sleep until four in the afternoon everyday for five weeks straight. To avoid an argument, try getting up at a more reasonable hour and running an errand for your parents. The more you do for your parents, the less they’ll try to control what you’re doing.
6. Have a holiday party with your high school friends
Getting together as a group is a fun way to reconnect with your friends from back home. Whether you’ve talked to them everyday all semester long or if you’ve lost touch for a while, it’ll be nice to all get together during the happiest time of the year. Plus if you’ve been out of touch, it’ll be fun to tell people all the crazy stories from your semester!
7. Keep your room clean
Cleaning your room is something to do that will keep your parents from nagging you, and it really isn’t too difficult to do. After it’s done, you’ll find you like staying in your room a whole lot better!
8. Buy your holiday presents
Get out of the house and in the jovial spirit by going gift-shopping! The art of finding inexpensive, personal presents is a time-consuming task that will help you avoid catching cabin-fever at your house. Go with a friend and make it an all-day event.
9. Visit your friends from school
Winter break will seem to go by a lot quicker if you try to visit your friends from school! Whether you spend a weekend with your roommate, or a group of your friends plan to meet up in Boston for the day, keep in touch with your friends from school. You’ll all be counting down the seconds until you can reunite and come back up to Amherst for spring semester anyway.
10. Take advantage of your free time
Read a book (or a few), go exploring, pick up a new hobby, learn something new…go for whatever sparks your interest this winter. Remember that this is the most free time you’ll have until the summer, so make the most of it!
Got any awesome plans for winter break? Let us know. Enjoy your break and holiday, Collegiettes™!