Excited:

This is it! The moment you have been waiting for. Since you entered middle school, all of the important people in your life most likely got you thinking about college. In the back of your pre-teen/teenage mind, you briefly thought about it and then brushed it aside as you focused on all of your present thoughts instead. As you head towards your new home for the next four years, take a minute to reflect on the fact that the future is now. Instead of referring to your next steps after high school in the future tense, you can now say it’s happening at this very moment. Be overjoyed! The rest of your life is only beginning.

Nervous:

Yeah ok, this whole college thing is crazy exciting, but let’s be honest with ourselves. No matter how much we tell our mom’s were not nervous, we all know were lying. Whether you’d like to admit it or not, the thought of being completely self-sufficient for the first time in our lives is nerve wracking, even if we say it’s not.

Afraid:

Trying new things is scary, but being afraid of new things is normal. Learning to step out of your comfort zone at a young age is a really brave thing to do. As 18 year olds, a lot of pressure is put upon us to be successful. I’m here to tell you that it’s ok to be afraid of failure. In fact, all of us will fail at some point. I’ve learned that the most important thing you can learn to do is to learn to laugh at yourself. No one is perfect, and the faster you realize that, the more successful you’ll be.

Angry:

Some of us are moving an hour away, and some (such as myself) are moving even eight hours away. At times, I’ve noticed a lot of anger with not only myself, but people around me for constantly reminding me how far I’m going to be from home. The thought of losing touch with the people that are closest to me simply because I decided to move so far away, makes me so frustrated and upset. However, being angry just shows how big of a change this is in all of our lives. If we weren’t angry every once in while, we wouldn’t have the capability of understanding the seriousness of our choices. Learn to embrace the challenges of new beginnings, and focus on the positives. Although it’s hard, it will be rewarding for not only you, but your loved ones as well.

Sad:

Alright I’m going to be honest and say that this is probably one of the more common feelings of the bunch. When I say sad, I’m including heartbreak as well. We’re all experiencing these changes in different ways, which makes it beautiful. However, sadness is something we’re all feeling at the same time. It’s ok to admit that you’re sad to leave your parents believe it or not. No matter how much you claim they annoy you, you’re going to miss their home cooked meals, free laundry, and the peace and quiet that comes along with being at home with them. On the flip side, let’s not forget about friends and significant others. Leaving your childhood friends is probably one of the biggest things that will leave you feeling empty. You’ve shared countless memories with them for years and years. The thought of that not happening anymore is quite frankly heartbreaking. But as you leave your long time BFF, just focus on the fact that you’ll make just as many amazing memories with new friends.

Emotional:

Throughout this whole process, you might start to feel like you’re going insane. You’ve tried to hold it together for so long and then you find yourself uncontrollably crying while back to school shopping at Walmart. Hey, it’s ok. One person can only handle so much so don’t think of yourself as crazy. I mean we’re all a little crazy right? Having a lot of emotions is completely normal. In fact, I personally believe that being an emotional person can be beneficial.

Unsure:

Making new friends, learning new material, managing your own money, and living on your own will probably make you feel unsure of yourself. You’re probably worried that you won’t make many friends, or that you’ll be the dumbest person in the room, or that you’ll spend all of your money in the first two weeks on food. I’m here to tell you that you’re overthinking things. As a fellow overthinker, I’m here to reassure you that you will make so many new friends, learn lots of new and interesting things, and most likely (no promises on this one) spend all of your money on food. All I can say is if you stay focused on your goals, everything will eventually work itself out.

All The Above:

Last but not least, you’re probably feeling every single one of the things that I’ve talked about. Now, I’m no expert, but I think that’s a completely normal thing. Whether you’re moving down the street, or across the country, this stage of life is different. Doing new things is absolutely frightening, but also one of the best experiences you’ll ever go through (or so I’ve been told). So don’t freak out ok? The world is an exciting place and there are so many opportunities. If you can live a life like Joe Dirt and “keep on keepin’ on”, you’ll fully enjoy and embrace every obstacle and blessing that comes your way.