This past month has been a very interesting challenge for me. It was my first month at college. For me, this month has been marked a change in my life and during this period I have learned quite a bit that I would like to share with you.

First of all, you lose friends. People that you used to talk with everyday (or at least five days a week) become nonexistent. Not necessarily because of any negative attitudes or a big fallout with drama, just because of change. It’s not anyone’s fault. It just happens. Proximity can make or break certain relationships in your life. It’s just a part of life and it’s absolutely okay. It doesn’t mean there needs to be any harsh feelings.

That brings me to my second point: you will figure out who your true friends are. Most of the people I hung out with in high school have gone in completely different paths than myself and that includes my best friend. She’s about two hours away from me and in a different time zone. We both have so much going on in our lives and we have our own separate goals and schedules but we make time to talk and see each other. We want to be in each other’s lives and so we make it work. That’s what true friends do. Your friends from high school will make it a point to be in your life if they want to be.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, family is so important. Going into college, I planned on coming home and seeing my family once, maybe twice a month. I wanted to live my life and get my space away from hometown and my family and experience new things. So far, I’ve been home every weekend but the first and that weekend my family came and visited me. I’ve realized how much my family means to me and how much I miss them and needed them. I’ve always been independent, but going home and seeing your family is a good thing.

So, my advice to college freshmen and high school seniors is be prepared for change, but be aware that your whole world isn’t going to flip and spin backwards. Also, make time for your family. Whether it be texting, calling, or even FaceTiming, it’ll make you feel better and it’ll make your family feel better too. There’s always someone who loves and misses you.