As someone who goes home several times a semester, I thought I should give some advice on making the dreaded trip home from Hanover. While many students live only an hour or less from campus, there are those of us who live three, four or ten hours from here.
I live three and a half hours from Hanover, making a weekend trip doable, but not always pleasant. I usually leave right after my last class on Friday, so about 3:00. This means I don’t make it home until 6:30 (if I don’t stop at all) just in time for dinner, homework and bed. Sure, I get all day Saturday to frolic with my cats, sister and parents, but is it really worth more than $40 in gas, etc., for a trip that lasts essentially a day and a half?
It definitely depends. Sometimes things come up and a trip home is a must (this was my past weekend) and those are always acceptable. Other times you just HAVE to get off campus. I mean no offense, Hanover is wonderful, full of great people and fun things but every now and again you just need to sit on a regular sized couch and enjoy the perks of a house (like the space! so much space!).
Those trips are also good for the soul. But those “I just want to go home” reasons are sometimes iffy. To really have the great experience here that is intended, you have to actually be here on a weekend with your friends. So before you get yourself into the mindset of “I’m going to go home every other weekend” just think of all the fun opportunities you’ll miss. Here are some of my favorite weekend activities at the HC:
1) Movie Marathons: My friends and I love any trilogy or movie series and make entire weekends dedicated to the films. We are currently planning two before Thanksgiving Break; Lord of the Rings Weekend and Harry Potter Weekend. These weekends are famous because they mean lots of popcorn and PJs all weekend! Just the thing to unwind with after a stressful week!
2) Dining Out: Getting away from the Campus Center and Underground for food is never a bad thing. It is nice to get to add more variety into your life and there isn’t anything better than gathering up a group of friends, heading to Madison and eating at King 88 (a new, delicious Chinese restaurant). There are of course other options for food off campus, including two of my other favorite places, The Red Pepper and Shooters.
3) Studying Outside: Of course you can do this during the week too, but let’s be real. Who has the time to set everything up outside during the week to study while it’s daylight? Right after brunch on a crisp fall day there is nothing better than grabbing the books, a hot chocolate, and a blanket and hitting The Quad. Not to mention, since it’s the weekend, if you end up giggling more than studying you can always make up for it later!
With those ideas in mind, and plenty more possibilities, maybe it will change your mind. Experience Hanover the way it was meant to be experienced, on campus, in the community!
