Dear Freshman Year Me,

So it's been one of those weeks. Just when you thought college was going to get easier you became completely overwhelmed. You cried several times this week what you want most is to be at home in your real bed an to have the family you love waiting right outside the door. And part of you wishes you had stayed home for the first year of college. As much as you don't want to hear it, I'm here to say that running home is not the answer.

Remember how hard you worked to get here? The hours you put in before, during, and after high school classes to make your college resume stand out? As much as you loved the student council meetings, musical, and volunteering, it was all to get you to where you are now. Do you remember the joy you felt getting that acceptance letter to your first choice of school? In moments of homesickness it is hard to see, but you will feel that feeling again and again here at college. Do you remember how heart-broken you were when you were waitlisted for your program? Don't throw your second chance away.

I also want to remind you that you were so ready to move out of your hometown. Sure you miss the people, but as soon as you go home, your going to remember how you outgrew the place. Culture, diversity, and excitement surround you in college. Your starting to meet people that are more attuned to your morals and passions. You felt like the black sheep at home, that feeling will fade away here. Just give it some time. And at college there is always something to do, something you WANT to do. You have more than enough opportunities to get out of your room, unless you decide to stay in to bond with your new friends.

I know part of the homesickness comes with the fear of falling out with your family. You have always been close to them and not seeing your mom, dad, and sister everyday and you favorite cousins every week scares you. I'm here to say yes, you will grow apart from your family. But in that space you will make amazing new friends, the kind that are going to last for the rest of your life. And while the will never completely fill the void, your family will still always have your back. Your relationships with them will change for the better too. Your mom will make you feel more like an adult, your sister will feel more like a peer than your younger sibling, and you will have conversations with your dad where you can tell how much he cares. All this things you never thought possible at home will come to be now you are at college.

The homesickness never goes away. I hate telling you that, but it's true. I'm sitting here a month into my senior year and I am homesick. But it's much different than the homesickness I felt as a freshman. I miss spending time with my family, not my physical house or hometown. You will always miss special people in your life, but in college, you have the chance from miss them from a place where you're learning and growing.

So keep your head up little freshman. College will get easier, sometimes. And always remember, as much as you miss your family, they aren't worth going to community college for.