Dear Student Leaving Home,

Wow! Can you believe it? It is time for you to embark on one of the most exciting times of your life! I know all of the feelings you are facing.

You are over-the-moon about the fact you are getting to go to the school of your dreams. You’ve gained at least some level of familiarity with the campus, met a few incoming freshmen like yourself, and are just a few items away from completing the dorm supply list. Before long, you’ll be traveling to the place that will help you determine the future for truly the rest of your life. No pressure!

While you are no doubt looking forward to the opportunities on the horizon, you are no doubt a little apprehensive as well. You’ve taken the leap of faith to pursue the uncharted path; the vast majority of your high school peers are going to the college just a few miles down the road, but you’ve decided to take it to the next level. As time gets closer and closer for you to leave the comfort of your home that you’ve known for the past 18 years, the anxiety level is heightening. Perhaps the thoughts of, “Should I really do this?” or “Have I made the right decision?” have gone through your mind. It is in knowing this feeling (and having experienced it myself) I write you this letter today.

Please don’t forget just how courageous you are. You are courageous because you didn’t buckle under the pressure of all of those people doubting your decision to go after something no one else did. You heard the negativity coming from all directions and overcame it time and time again. People assumed you must’ve thought you were better than everyone else to even try to go off for school. For every reason someone told you to leave home for school, there were at least three reasons they told you not to leave home for school. You did what so few people do, though, and followed your own intuition over that of others. You’ve demonstrated your willingness to leave the safety net behind and your ability to rise to the occasion. I cannot begin to describe how proud I am of you.

Hear me out, though: Even courageous people like you have their moments. One of those moments in this life-changing journey will be on the day you leave home. No matter how excited you may be for life in a new city or how much you are relieved high school is over, passing by the city limits of your hometown will rip you apart. Don’t mistake this feeling as a reason to change your mind or to turn the car around. The fact of the matter is, life will never be the same on the other side of that city limit sign, and that is a big pill to swallow for anyone, even the tough cookies like you.

When you finally arrive at school, the individual dorm supplies will start taking form into a single dorm room. Mom may cry, and you just may too. That’s OK, because you’ve never known home outside of the one you just left. You’ll kiss the family goodbye and watch the car go in the direction it just came from, you no longer inside. Eventually, you’ll feel the emotions of being all on your own. It’s new. It’s scary. More than that, though, I promise you it’s rewarding.

I won’t act like leaving home for college is always easy. There will be bumps in the road, but you will overcome them – just as you have your entire life. You are about to meet your best friends that you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. Opportunities you didn’t even know existed will suddenly be placed at your feet. Great days are ahead of you in your new home, and I cannot wait to watch you take them on with confidence and grace.

You are more prepared than you even know, and you are certainly stronger than you ever imagined. The next phase of life is the best phase of life, and I cannot wait to watch you grow. I wish you the best of luck, but you really don’t need it. Knowing your faith and determination, success for you is already a guarantee.

With admiration,

The Student That Left Home