Reentry in the old world (your parent's house) may take some readjustment.
Congratulations! You survived your freshman year! How does it feel to be a sophomore? We hope your first year of college ended well and all in all was a terrific experience for you.
Now, you may miss your freedom, you miss your friends, you miss the sundae bar in the cafeteria... but all the same, it's kind of nice to be home. Preserve that happy homecoming vibe by proving that yes, you really did learn something this year.
HEAD Lines
SHARE THE WEALTH:
• Offer Mom and Dad the chance to read your best paper from the semester.
• Open up about which majors you're considering...and why.
• Put the icing on the cake by asking the family whether they would like to spend a Friday evening enjoying your Oceanography 101 PowerPoint presentation on the sediments and salinity of the Long Island Sound.
Chances are, even your most intellectual relatives won't take you up on everything. But you'll earn brownie points for sharing your experiences and knowledge. And with three whole months of family togetherness to go, those brownie points will come in handy.
From Other HEADS
IF YOU GO HOME FOR THE SUMMER, make sure you go on vacation. I had to take trips by myself because I cannot be around my parents all the time. I realize they are real people and not all their habits are ones I want to live with. Separating from your parents is part of growing up and becoming a better person. You have to figure out what you want to be as a person, as opposed to what your parents are.
-- S.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT SANTA BARBARA
I WOULD RECOMMEND DRIVING your parents' van, with a nice bed in back, coast to coast, 3,000 miles. It doesn't take too long. I did that with my girlfriend. I learned to surf once I got to California. My parents didn't know I had taken the van until I was in another state. But when I called them, they said, "We've been waiting for you to do something like that." It was great.
-- STEVE BAKER
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Web Resources
Vacation Tips from San Francisco State University
www.xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/life/003897.html
HoH Tip
The learning doesn't have to end just because the school year's done. Hit a museum, read one of those supplemental books on the syllabus of your favorite course, buy a how-to book on something you've been wanting to learn - it might also make starting sophomore year a little less of a shock to the system.