Moving into college is an exciting time in everyone's life. It's the first time we will be living away from our parents, and the first time we will be responsible for ourselves. It is such a special time because you are meeting the friends you will keep for years and years to come, but there are things about childhood that will dwindle in your mind after you are all settled in. These are the types of things you probably took for granted before.
1. You'll Miss Walking into High School Every Morning
You won't realize it at the time, but there's something so comforting about walking into your High School every day. Theres comfort in knowing who you are going to see every day. You know who you are going to pass going from third to fourth period. That's not how it works in college. People go to get meals at different times every day, and they go to the gym, and some skip class. It's always different.
2. You'll Miss Family Dinners
As fun as eating food with all of your friends every night sounds, you'll miss watching your Mom cooking dinner. You'll miss the way the smell of garlic bread in the oven fills the entire house. You'll miss seeing your Dad set the table, and your little brother hoisting himself onto the dining room chairs.
3. You'll Miss Your Mom's Questions
"How was your day?" gets SO old. We all know this. But when you come home to an empty dorm room each day, you'll miss answering that daily question every. Even if it's just to say "good".
4. You'll Miss Being Disciplined
This sounds insane, I know. But sometimes we all need that little "whip into shape" from our parents. You'll make mistakes and you'll miss your parents waiting for you in the living room when you come home with "the look" on their faces, but they won't be. It's cool sometimes, but them not being there is even more of a reminder that it's on you now.
5. You'll Miss Having People Around Who Know You
"I'll get a fresh start" is a thought going through everyones minds when they leave for college. But you'll miss having people around who know you. Who know your favorite ice cream flavor, and who know how much you hate the color red.
6. You'll Miss Your High School Teachers
No one here is going to hold your hand. You'll miss the teachers who gave you the extra day to write the paper because you had a late practice. You'll miss the teachers who let you do your homework during class. College Professors really aren't as scary as they sound, but deadlines are deadlines and there really are no excuses.
7. You'll Miss Going to Friends Houses
Your social hang-out spots are now limited to sports games, rec rooms and dorm rooms. You'll miss rolling up to your best friends house, and parking in the same parking spot that you always do. You'll miss hugging your friends moms and playing with their dogs.
8. You'll Miss Knowing Where Home Is
Your house will always be your home. This is what your mom will tell you, and it will make perfect sense until you go home for the weekend and then refer to your campus as "home". You'll miss the smell of your house after weeks, or months of being away. And then when you go home, you'll miss your roommates smiling face every day.
College is a lot to take in. That's the most blunt way anyone can put it. No matter how brave you are, and no matter how badly you want to "get away", you'll miss familiar faces. You'll miss your friends, and your family, and seeing the same cashier at the grocery store down the street. You'll realize this when you're sitting alone in your dorm room one day and you realize just what everyone meant when they said "it's time to grow up".
