Summer is slowly making its way to fall and unfortunately, school will be starting up again soon, and for many out of state college students like myself, we will be leaving home again. This means a lot of things to everyone. For some people, this is a very exciting and anticipated time.

Another year of college promises a new adventure into the unknown, personal growth and new experiences.

Personally, this topic is very important to me as I am leaving my home in California a little bit sooner than expected to take some classes and work over summer at GCU in Arizona. From moving back and forth between The Valley of The Sun and Sunny So Cal the past two years I’ve learned some very valuable life lessons, but one thing is for sure: whether you are leaving home for the first time or even the fourth, be prepared to learn, to mature, make some memories, possibly shed some tears, and understand that everyone is going to be going through a different level of difficulty and adjustment to their new lives.

For those getting ready to move away from home, let me tell you. It begins like any other day, another chapter in your life. They say when one door closes another opens, but the reality is the excitement of leaving home will wear off for many of you at a certain point. Some people will cry when their parents finish helping them unpack and get settled in while some, like myself, won’t cry for weeks after their parents leave until one day the reality sets in and it just hits you like a ton of bricks. Don’t get me wrong, I love living on my own and want nothing more than my own independence, but there are points on your journey when you may realize, that you may have lost a piece of your own identity in this new, foreign place.

College is a time of exploration, it’s your first step out into the real world and a time to discover yourself, and figure out who you are and who you want to be. One of the best tips I ever got when getting ready to leave home was to get involved, and I encourage everyone reading this to do the same. It is an unfortunate, but common misconception that involvement in certain groups, clubs, sports, intramurals, fraternities, sororities and other things can harm one’s college experience or distract from studies, but I honestly see it a different way. While yes, these things could potentially cause distractions for you, these very same things are more likely to be positive distractions. In my own experience, my choice to become a proactive involved student is what helped to save my life when I was at my lowest point battling depression and anxiety. It is what helped me rediscover purpose in my life, and bond with like-minded college students who I now call some of my best friends, my chosen family and my home away from home.

The reality is, the college experience is different for everyone. I can only share my honest college experience and just a few pieces of what I’ve learned. You will cry. You will at some point probably fail an exam, or even a class. Not everyone you meet will like you and you will come to miss almost everything about where you came from. But in the end, you will grow into someone you never thought you would come to know, you will meet some amazing friends, you will learn more than you ever thought possible, and you will have some amazing stories to carry with you throughout the rest of your life.