Enjoy the things you can’t do at school.
Tara was really bummed when her love of baking had to be put on hold in her ovenless dorm. So when she goes home, she bakes up a storm (à la Izzy in Grey’s Anatomy). “It’s nice because it’s something that makes home special,” she explains. Tara also recommends “taking lots of showers sans shower shoes.” Other only-at-home pastimes include blaring music really, really loud (without fearing the wrath of a hyper-zealous RA) and walking around in your old junkie jammies.

Reconnect with friends.
Kaitlin, a freshman at the State University of New York at Plattsburg, recommends getting all one’s home friends together in a big group and going out to dinner. Not only will that get you out of the house for a bit, “but reconnecting with friends is really fun,” says Kaitlin. “Plus, there’s no Mexican restaurants where I go to school, so my friends and I always go out to this Mexican restaurant near my house.” Making vacation traditions with your friends is a fabulous way to make breaks meaningful.