College life can be great, but sometimes you just want your own bed, your dog, and home cooking over a greasy 2 a.m. takeout run. Craving familiarity is normal. The real dilemma is balancing going home from college on weekends with actually getting the college experience you are paying for.

If you disappear every Friday at 3 p.m., you risk feeling like an outsider on your own campus. Stay away from home too long when you are running on fumes, and burnout creeps up fast.