Living away from home for the first time was a huge adjustment. Most of us have never been away from our families for more than a few days at a time. When I went to college, I moved 3 hours away from my family. I was forced to grow up and learned to take care of myself. Living away from home is hard, but you learn many important lessons along the way.
1. You need to advocate for yourself.
When I lived at home, my parents helped me get almost every opportunity I had. When I wanted to take dance classes, my mom took care of it. When I wanted help with math, my mom got me help. When I was sick or injured, my mom made all of my doctors appointments. When I moved away, everything changed. When I wanted help with chemistry, I had to find a tutor. When I wanted to find a counselor to talk about stress, I had to set it up on my own. If you don't advocate for yourself, you won't get as far in life. If I hadn't found tutors, I wouldn't have done as well in my classes and if I hadn't gone to the health center, I never would have found the great support that I have at school.
2. Money doesn't grow on trees.
My family isn't and has never been wealthy, but my parents never talked to my sister and I about money. They have provided for us and we have had comfortable lives. While money was a factor in many of my parents' decisions while I was growing up, I never realized how much. When I started living on my own, I started to appreciate the value of money. I have started counting every penny and finding the best options before I throw money away. While I know my parents will always help me out if I need them to, and that they are not in trouble financially, money is always a factor in my decisions.
3. What people think of you doesn't matter all that much.
What people thought of me has always been something I worried about. When I went to college, I was worried about how I dressed and saying the wrong thing. Then I realized that you can't let those worries rule your life. Once I started paying less attention to what people thought of me, I became more confident. I took chances that I never would have taken in high school and they all payed off. Confidence in yourself will take you far.
4. Don't rush through life.
When I was younger, I just wanted to grow up. I wanted to be done with school and be a veterinarian. Even now, I am looking forward to being done with school. When I moved away though, I learned to enjoy the rest of the carefree time I had. Soon, my parents won't be supporting me anymore. I won't be able to go to them for money when I run out. I will have to pay taxes and student loans. I will have my own family to support. You need to enjoy your years in college. While you are more independent, you still have the support of your family. I finally understand why people say that college was the best time of their lives.
I have been lucky. I have grown up with a supportive family and we have lived comfortable lives. I grew up a lot when I moved away. I have realized how lucky I am to have the parents I do. I also learned that I while I valued that family, being independent is important. College teaches you more than academics. It prepares you for life.
