Surviving College Winter Break

Now that you are used to being on your own in college, winter break may be a shock to the system. Though the winter holidays can cheer you up, you may feel like you won’t survive them after even a few days of returning home to your family.

Just know you’re not alone in feeling suddenly stifled by your parents over winter break, and realize there are a few ways to make the most of the situation. You may even miss them once you return to campus in January!

Stay Busy Outside the House

For months, you have made your own schedule and lived to tell about it. You have been responsible for doing your laundry, microwaving your meals and getting to class or even work while at college. You’re practically an adult!

But the minute you enter your parents’ house for winter break, you suddenly feel like a child again. They may remind you to put away your shoes, and even raise an eyebrow when you decide to stay out past midnight. Though this behavior may make you feel stifled, remember they only do it because they care about you. In fact, they probably remind you of this over and over, but it’s true.

Apart from keeping this little fact in mind – and remembering college winter break only lasts a month or so – you can try to reduce the stress by getting out of the house. When you cannot stand another reminder to eat your vegetables, it’s time to head to the local coffee shop, the mall or even the roller rink you went to as a child.

Just because you have to live at home for winter break doesn’t mean you have to be with your parents the whole time. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

Rekindle Old Friendships

In fact, a great excuse for getting out of the house during college winter break is meeting up with old friends. You probably have contact with some of your high school friends on Facebook, and even if they are going to college out of state, they are likely home for winter break, too.

Meeting for coffee or dinner will allow you to catch up and see how much has changed since you went off to college. You might find your conversations are just as great as they were in high school, or you may learn you have moved on.

Either way, meeting with friends is a good way to get out of the house during college winter break. Plus, it is a good idea to stay in touch with old friends, since you never know when you might need their connections when applying for an internship or your first job after college.

Get Things Done

If there is little to do in your city over winter break, and your old friends can’t meet up, maybe it’s best to stay inside and be productive. Maybe you have some required reading to do, or can prepare for your upcoming classes. If you are an upperclassman considering applying to graduate school, now is the time to work on your applications.

Of course, just because your family is hindering your freedom during college winter break does not mean you should avoid them completely. Your parents will appreciate you participating in family holiday traditions, and you will likely enjoy the memories once winter break is over and you are back at college.