By: Travis Harvey (Illinois State University)
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So you may or may not have been away at school for a couple of weeks now and you are slowly getting used to the freedom that comes with it. Then it sneaks up out of nowhere, it basically blindsides you. Your once thriving campus becomes a wasteland of nothing but floating red solo cups and empty beer cans, I’m talking about Labor Day weekend.
I get that some people have their reasons for going home, but can you seriously be that homesick already? I’m sure your parents are missing you and you’re missing them but there is always time for a random trip home later down the road. Don’t get me wrong I love going home and seeing my family, but there are limits and i think less than two or three weeks is a limit. Also, don’t forget, gas isn’t cheap and once you get home you’ll probably miss your new found freedom from campus.
The girls at my university who are going Greek can’t even go home because it’s the beginning of sorority recruitment. That means the campus won’t be so quiet because all I will be able to concentrate on is the yelling of the Greek alphabet … just great.
A good rule to live by is the six week rule which is once you leave for school you should try not to make a trip home for at least six weeks. This may seem a bit harsh to some, but if you are constantly going home you’ll be known as the ghost in your dorm and if you actually give it a chance maybe you’ll find your home away from home.
Ultimately this is what college is all about, finding your place in a new unfamiliar world that you will undoubtedly have trouble fitting into if you’re going home all the time. So if you must go home Labor Day realize you’re going to miss so many wild parties and crazy nights just wait for your friends to tell you the epic tale later.
