Moving two hours away from home seemed surreal around eight months ago. I said I was ready but in the back of my mind I was terrified, the thought of leaving behind my life— the life I said I was ready to leave— was the scariest thing I had done, ever. But here we are, eight months later, one month until I move back home, and it’s so bittersweet.
Moving to a new school and town automatically makes you think you’re going to start over, have a “fresh” start, and essentially that’s what you do. But you don’t change, you evolve into a better version of yourself.
I’m still the same girl I was a year ago, but I’ve grown as a person. I didn’t wake up one day and decide to be different, it happened over the course of two semesters.
People will tell you “you’ve changed, you’re not the same” and that’s fine. First off, you didn’t wake up this morning to make them happy. Second, people will tell you this because they’re jealous of your progress as a person. And third, if they’re really your friend, they’ll want you to be the best version of yourself.
One of the main reasons people go to college (other than getting a degree) is to find themselves. You’re not supposed to be the same person as you were when you started, no one is.
Moving away from home isn’t going to be easy. You’re going to run into problems you didn’t even know existed. Everything that could’ve happened to me, happened. But I can positively say that I overcame every obstacle with grace.
Not once during my trials did I give up, believe me, I wanted to, but keeping your eyes on the prize will motivate you to keep going.
Life isn’t easy, so don’t expect to come to college and everything be easy breezy (it’s not). I was ready for the reality of life, but I wasn’t ready to overcome the obstacles of life on my own. Being on your own will reveal your strength, to yourself and others.
Your first test of strength will be how well you deal with homesickness. Some people left after the first semester and some will leave after this semester. The key is to keep in mind if you were home, where would you go to school?
You would have to get a job, you wouldn’t be a part of your sorority or fraternity anymore, and your opportunities would decline— especially if you’re from a small town like I am.
Your next test of strength will be midterms and finals. The amount of stress students put their bodies and minds under is simply unhealthy, manage your stress. Don’t devote all your time to studying, this will drive you crazy and you’ll become unhappy very quickly.
Your next test will occur when something bad happens. How well you deal with it will determine your strength. Press on, bad things happen to every college student. Within twenty-four hours I managed to get in trouble with my RA, sprain my ankle, get a sketchy uber driver, and get my friends car towed.
Yes, I’m still thriving, I swear.
I have grown so much as a person within the last eight months, to say the least. I’m a better friend, sister, and person because I moved away and gained a different perspective on things.
Moving away for college is the best decision I’ve ever made.
