Managing the transition home during the summer 

Going from University back to your hometown can be a difficult thing to get used to. You go from seeing your new friends every day to spending more time with your family. The town is different and the nightlife which you may now be used to might not be the same when you go back home. I’ve been home for summer each year and as I’m about to leave University, here is my advice!

Spending time with my family

Before I joined University, I’d always begrudge having to spend time with my siblings. I’d find it really annoying but now I’m at University, I appreciate spending time with them more. I look forward to being able to go to the cinema with my brother and going for a run with my sister. Even if it’s something quite simple like just going for a walk, it’s a really great chance to be able to catch up with your family – especially since FaceTime isn’t always that engaging. 

Going to restaurants

My home is in the East of England so when I’m either visiting it or I’m back for summer, I like to try and explore some of the restaurants. When I’m in Lincoln, I miss the food of the Norfolk restaurants and getting to talk to the people that run them. I also miss some of the quieter atmospheres at the restaurants and it can be nice to go from a busier location like Lincoln to something a bit smaller. During the summer, a lot of the restaurants have outdoor seating areas which can make the experience even better.  

Using the gym

I’ve made a lot of progress by using the sports centre at Lincoln for the past few months and it helps me feel like I’ve accomplished something once I’ve gone. I want to keep this going so I’ve joined the gym in my hometown which has similar equipment and gives me the same feeling of productivity. In my home town, I can buy a membership for both the gym and the swimming pool which is something different to the sports centre. This means I keep a similar workout routine which I’ve got used to during my time at University but it’s also a bit varied which keeps things interesting. 

Baking

At University, the only time I get to cook is when I’m meal prepping but when I come home, we have family meals together so I have more time to use the kitchen to bake cakes and flapjacks. I enjoy doing this with my siblings and it’s even better because the food always tastes great! During the summer, I tend to make colder things such as homemade ice cream, smoothies or pavlova so that I still get time in the kitchen and can enjoy eating it outside in the warmer weather.

These are just a few ideas of how you can manage the transition to home during the summer. Remember to take some time off and enjoy the break after all the deadlines!