With the countdown until moving into college looming closer, it is easy to be filled with a mixture of emotions. On one hand, college is something you have looked forward to since your first day of high school. You worked for four years trying to be successful to reach the goal of going away for school.

You had thoughts of, "Wow, I wish I could just leave for college, and escape this town." But, now that move-in day is getting closer, you are left with an uneasy feeling. Even though you have been looking forward to this day for as long as you can remember, there's a sense of fear that comes with leaving.

Leaving for college can be scary. There is a fear of the unknown; change is scary. I remember before I left for college my first year, I had this overwhelming feeling of knowing my whole life was going to change and there was a level of vulnerability of it being totally out of my control. I wouldn't want to acknowledge that I wasn't quite ready to leave because I had always been the girl who looked forward to going away to college.

I put off packing for school just because, as dramatic as it sounds, the thought of "packing my whole life into boxes" was too daunting to face, and I was scared. It is scary to not know what to expect, but it so worth taking that leap of faith and putting everything you have into leaving. What I have found is that yes, my life changed but there are some things in your life that remain constant.

You still have the support of your family and friends, and if anything, your support system only grows when you meet people at college. I understand not wanting to go, but when we let this fear control us, we are left in a state of complacency that we did not want for ourselves from the very beginning. I think by welcoming this change and remembering all the reasons you are going away to college makes leaving that much easier.

The key to letting go of the fear of leaving is to realize it's not permanent. You have to remember that your home will always be there. Sure, some things will change or a restaurant you love will close, but the majority of what you know and love will still be there when you get back. You also will gain an appreciation for the things that drove you crazy before. I remember I used to hate how life at home never changes, but once I left for school I began to appreciate the consistency that I once couldn't stand. You are allowing yourself to grow when you leave for college.

Take the remaining weeks you have before you move-in and really take time to appreciate what you have. Someday, in the near future, your life will change. Instead of dreading and fearing the change, choose to embrace it. Choose to go and explore a new life at college. Embracing the period of growth that you are fortunate enough to have will only benefit you in the future. Before you know it, it will be time to return home and you will be stuck wondering if you are ready to go back to the place you once feared leaving.