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What I Learned Living On-Campus for the Summer

Christine
Aug 28, 2015
2 min read

When everyone goes home at the end of the Spring Semester, almost everything about campus changes. This summer, I chose to take a position working on-campus, meaning I’d have to live at school for the summer since I’m not within commuting distance. It’s strange being on campus in the summer and I learned a lot of things, both from dorming during the summer months, and from my job that I never realized about what happens to a college campus when it's usual inhabitants leave it behind for four long months.

A campus without students is a completely different environment. While there are still some people living on campus, it’s far less than the amount I was used to, and while it’s peaceful, it also gets lonely.
Cooking for one is hard. I took the easy route and opted for TV dinners, PB&J and steamable vegetables to get me through the summer.
Groceries are expensive. There’s no meal plan in the summer, and groceries add up fast, especially if you like to eat healthy. I also couldn’t buy food in bulk because it would go bad before I’d get around to eating it.
Campus looks different. Primarily because after everyone leaves, the flowers bloom and the trees become fully decked out in leaves. Sadly, the summer hasn’t even ended and the flowers are dying off, reminding me that a new term is right around the corner.
A lot of campus maintenance is done in the summer. This summer alone I’ve seen windows replaced, AC units fixed, the dining hall repainted, and both the gym floor and the pool resurfaced. So if you’ve ever wondered where all your tuition dollars go, it’s to the insane amount of repairs made during the summer months.
Campus doesn’t become a ghost town. My campus in particular holds conferences, institutes, sports camps, and a lot of other activities that address all demographics and age groups. I can’t say this is true for every school, but my guess would be that there’s at least a handful of events each summer to keep people busy.
It passes quickly. I find it hard to believe it's already August. Just yesterday I mentioned to someone how I couldn't believe how quickly summer passed, still believing it was only July. Summer campus living becomes so routine that the days pass, all so similar they blend together
You miss where you came from. I know I miss my family, my friends, and my hometown. I miss the mountains that surround my valley, and all the amazing hiking they offer. Since I took a second job, I didn’t get to spend many weekends at home and I had to miss out on a lot of amazing summer hikes.
You become really close with your coworkers. When the summer first started I only knew one of my coworkers. Now, we are all really close and spent many nights together, whether painting wine glasses, having dance parties, or just talking, they made being away from home less difficult.