Being at college is awesome. There are all sorts of new freedoms and responsibilities that we college students get to experience.

From making decisions about what to eat and when, how much studying to do and when to go to bed, college is practically a whole new world.

Yet, as a freshman, barely two months into dorm life, there are certain things that I am starting to miss about living at home. From food to my own bathroom, I have found just a couple downfalls to this new lifestyle.

Ok…Let me begin with food. There have been days since my arrival at UVM, generally on a homework-dominated Sunday, that I have eaten an entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s on my own. There is really no reason for this. Sometimes I ate breakfast before the pint but most other times it was my entire food-intake for the day. Now I’m sure this is an unnecessary statement but this activity is just unhealthy. Unfortunately I never ended up sick afterward to ward me off of eating another pint the following weekend. Today, a Sunday, I am much better. I haven’t finished off a pint on my own for weeks but holy cow.

At home, I was guaranteed incredible food a la my mother that was healthy and filling, hence no need to eat an entire pint of ice cream. Yeah, on that subject, I’ve determined that food in the dining halls is just not for me. Therefore I hike myself over to Alice’s for lunch and the March?© for dinner.

Hiking over to Cook Commons for a little variety is also a bit of a bummer but worthwhile when I’m willing to suck it up. Nevertheless, I’m not looking forward to hiking over to the March?© in the bitter winter.

Next off, I miss my own bathroom. Naturally, showering without shoes on is a luxury that I long for. I miss having all of my stuff in the bathroom rather than trucking it all in there every time I have to shower or brush my teeth. What’s more, the floor is so skeevy. I wish that every time I dropped my towel on the floor I didn’t have to get another. In fact, I’ve come to really value Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after my tennis class when I have an hour of solitude in the bathroom.

Between 9 and 10, no one is ever in the bathroom so I am guaranteed the “good shower” and no other disruptions.

Ok, and the toilets…I mean, over the weekend they aren’t washed and people who aren’t relatives puke in there.

And while the whole going to the bathroom with other people in the room thing is awkward, going number two is really awkward. Quite honestly, I can’t do it with other people in the room. Yeah, ok…

So I’ve exaggerated a little bit. I have come to find healthy food to eat (most of the time) and I like seeing hall-friends in the bathroom every day.

I mean, I have a lot of food in my room (Luna Bars and bagels for breakfast) and I have truly gotten used to lugging my stuff down the hall to brush my teeth or shower. Nevertheless, it’s not home.

Still, I have a crazy appreciation for the other offerings of college life, and for these I willingly forgo the simple pleasures of life at home.