Laura Castro Lindarte, a sophomore double majoring in journalism and political science, is a Hatchet opinions writer.
I woke up in a panic: My clock read 6:30 a.m. and I should have been awake an hour ago to make it to my class on time. But then I realized classes were over for the summer, and that I could go back to sleep. What started as a happy realization very quickly turned into boredom.
As the day went by, I realized that I had nothing to do. After watching YouTube videos for half an hour, I glanced at my phone only to see that I had several hours to go before anyone came home to hang out with me. I realized quickly that I missed taking my courses, because I missed having something to do, even if it meant waking up early and sitting through three two-hour classes everyday.
I’m sure many GW students understand this bizarre feeling of relief mixed with boredom when the semester ends. You no longer need to worry about handing in homework assignments or waking up early, but you struggle to find something productive to do with your time. I have felt that even more intensely while I am abroad than I would have at home.
At the end of this past semester at GW, I went through a brief time where I was bored, but I was lucky: I was only home for a short period before I headed to Colombia for the bulk of my summer. Now that I have a lot of free time, I’m just now feeling what my GW peers went through weeks ago.
The feeling is felt even more by students who just finished their freshman year. We go from adjusting to a world of near-constant stress during the semester to having no pressing deadlines after finals. It’s a huge change that is especially hard when we are going through the adjustment after our first year of college. We miss being surrounded by people our own age and the independence we gained and our own routines.
I’ve often wondered why students get bored when we have nothing to do. Maybe for some students who go home for the summer, it’s the realization that they have lost touch with high school friends. Because I went abroad right after the school year ended, I didn’t have to worry about readjusting to being at home. When I was still enrolled in my course here in Colombia, I was always busy. Now that my workload has disappeared, I feel empty. Apart from adding a few lines to a resume or making some money over the summer, it’s no wonder why so many of us get internships or jobs for something to do.
I’ll be in Colombia with my family for another month, so while other GW students are halfway through their summer jobs and internships, my struggle to find something to keep me occupied starts now.
School can often feel like a whirlwind, so it’s hard to get used to life without feeling stressed all the time. For the rest of the summer, I intend to become more immersed in the residential community here in Colombia. I might take another class or just spend time with my family and new friends.
No matter where you are this summer, you’re probably learning the same lesson that I am: Relaxing can lead to boredom, so it’s important to find rewarding ways to fill your time.
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