Coming back to campus can bring a flood of emotions; some people are excited to get back into the swing of things, to be back with friends, or to be back in the campus environment, while others wish they could stay at home with their families or friends.

Many students are ready to be back on campus, whether for school or social reasons, and many complained about the boredom that plagued them in their hometowns.

For University of Iowa third-year student Gretchen Sweeney, being home for a whole month is unnecessary, especially as an older student on campus.

“I was bored at my house. I’m a junior, and I feel like freshman year was really fun because everyone came back [to their hometowns], but now that I’m older, people have jobs and lives at their college campus,” Sweeney said. “As I got older, now I actually have no reason to be at my family’s house for a month.”

Mara Scott, a fourth-year UI student, relayed similar sentiments. As an out-of-state student from Minnesota, many of her friends attend the University of Minnesota and stay on or near campus throughout the month-long break.

However, getting back to campus too early can be against a student’s better judgment. For fourth-year UI student Sydney Sands, this was the case.

“I had two weeks alone at our house, which was nice, but it was really boring, and I kept thinking people were going to come into the house and break in,” Sands said.

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Many students were thrilled to get back to campus for the nightlife and party scene of Iowa City. After being home for a month, hanging out with friends is something many students were looking forward to.

Greta Sorenson, a fourth-year UI student, was excited to hang out with her college friend group, as one of the first things she and Scott did when they got back to campus was go on a party bus for their friend’s birthday.

Many students shared the same thoughts. Scott was excited to be back with a larger friend group, as she tends to see fewer people in her hometown. Scott and Sands were ready to hit the town, even though the temperatures in Iowa City aren’t exactly ideal for going out.

“[I’m excited to] drink, probably. I’m gonna be so thrilled. I feel like we did that, like, immediately when we got back,” Scott said.

Other students missed being in the city for the closeness of everything. Sweeney was ready to be back in a normal routine and take advantage of the school’s amenities.

“[I’m excited to go to] the gym,” Sweeney said. “I didn’t have a gym at home, so it was really nice to be able to go work out in a nice facility that wasn’t two dumbbells in my basement.”

After being home for a month, it can be easy to fall out of the swing of things, especially after being at the University for so many months. Sweeney was ready to be back in a city where everything is more easily accessible, mainly to get her step count up.

“I definitely miss living in a walkable city. When I was home — I live in a suburb where you can’t get anywhere except by car — so coming back here…it was so nice,” Sweeney said. “My step count when I was home was so low. I walked from my bedroom to the kitchen and back to the bedroom.”