Your first year of college is filled with many new experiences, some good, some bad, but most of them exciting in some kind of way. Things like living in a dorm, making new friends, being in control of your schedule, et cetera, are commonplace but still thrilling and are usually the parts that new college students look forward to. In my experience, birthdays and other big events can make students nervous (myself included) as they wonder what it will be like to not be with the people who have watched you grow up and have never missed a balloon, a slice of cake, or birthday wish. Today, as I celebrate my 19th birthday, I would like to share five realities about your first birthday away from home, not because these were things I wish I had known before leaving for school, but rather because it’s turning out to be one of the best in my life.
1. It’s not as bad as you think.
It may seem fairly obvious but I think it still needs to be said. A lot of people get really homesick around their birthday, lamenting the absence of their parents, siblings, dogs or even cats, but on the day of, maybe a few days before or after, everything kind of subsides and you get the chance to really enjoy your day. I can’t speak as to why or how this happens, but it does and it makes the day all the better. This, combined with the following four things, allows the day to surpass your expectations.
2. No one forgets about you.
This was something I was personally afraid of, as even my close family would sometimes forget my birthday had come and gone until about a month later. That was not the case this year; relatives who usually forgo the birthday call or text message remembered, my new friends and classmates all remembered and took the time to talk to me or drop me a line via Facebook or telephone. It’s quite touching and it makes your day feel much more special because of it.
3. People are more generous than you’d expect.
In coming to college I didn’t realize how real the broke college student cliché really is. My friends and I joke about it a lot and have long since gotten used to it, so I didn’t expect my friends to get me anything, it would have been enough for me just to spend time with them. They went out their way to get me or make me a little something to remind me that they love me and that they care. Even the simplest thing made me feel on top of the world. It was a charming exposition of love, much akin to past celebrations at home.
4. Be ready for a surprise party or something along those lines.
I have been involved in a number of surprise parties here at college in the past few months and yet I was still blindsided by my friends setting up a small cake and singing the birthday song to me while I proceeded to smile like a doofus and be baffled by the whole thing. I don’t know what it is about college students, or more specifically Hollins students, and our penchant for surprise parties, but it’s something that I love, especially now that my turn has come around in the birthday cycle.
5. Your friends make everything better.
They do. This related back to point three in a few ways, but beyond that, my friends have been nothing but happy, loving and supportive. They make the effort to make the day everything you want it to be, whether you want to watch Netflix, go shopping, climb a mountain, I can guarantee you at least one of your friends will do it with you. This may be the first time you’re away from your mother, father and siblings for such a celebration, but that doesn’t mean it’s the first time you’re away from family. Your friends are your family now, and they really step up. Make sure you appreciate that.
