As the end of the school year quickly approaches, sophomore Monica Roose said she wishes time would slow down.
Roose said she would rather be at school than work at a grocery store in her hometown of Goshen.
"Being at home means I have to work all day," Roose, an elementary education major, said. "Also, my friends won't be home for summer."
Making the transition from college life to home can be difficult for some students.
The problem of getting used to being at home after spending nine months at college is actually quite common, said Ellen Mauer, associate director of the Counseling Center.
Mauer said many students have come into the center seeking guidance on how to make the transition easier.
Mauer said preparation is key.
"College students are used to having whatever rules they want, but some parents still think there should be some rules," Mauer said. "Ahead of time, see what (their) expectations are."
Mauer said some parents may want their college students to get a certain job, have a schedule for using the family car, or may even expect a curfew to be followed.
Talking about these things early will lighten tension that could arise later, Mauer said.
Roose said moving back home last year was more difficult because of the rules her parents imposed on her.
"Last summer they had to know everything," Roose said. "Now they have lightened up a bit."
Freshman Jennifer Storer said she is worried about her parents expecting her to be the same way she was before she left for college.
"I know that once I go home they're going to expect me to do all the things I used to do, but I'm more independent now," Storer said.
Mauer said sometimes a person's values can change during college, and this might be a shock for some parents.
Students' ideas about religion, for example, could become different from what their families were used to, Mauer said.
It is important to share these changes with family members as soon as possible, Mauer said.
Sometimes, Mauer said, students just don't get along with their families.
"Something is problematic in the family, and it's probably been going on before the student arrived at Ball State," Mauer said.
It is hard to avoid these problems during Summer Break, she said.
"You can be on better behavior for three weeks, but three months is different," Mauer said.
But even if things are fine at home, some students just may not want to leave school.
"I want to get on with school," Storer, a music education major, said. "I like to be busy and know what I'm doing. At home, I don't have a set schedule of what I need to be doing and I have too much free time."
Storer said she has grown accustomed to life at Ball State.
"I'm going to miss my friends," Storer said. "I met so many people in the School of Music, and we are so close."
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