Going away to school means a lot of things. The real obvious things have been covered extensively. You leave behind friends, family, pets and anything else that has to do with wherever you call home. While it is true that you will leave those things at home and miss them dearly, the reality is that those things are just scratching the surface of the changes that one experiences. I definitely still go through those periods of time where I realize that I am a couple hours from my family, friends and everything else that is associated with home and I am then faced with the realization that I must depend on my own in the here and now. With that said, there are a couple other realizations that I have had that might not necessarily be covered with as much detail or with as much frequency as those “obvious” realizations/thoughts.
You Need To Be Your Own Friend
Notice that I did NOT say that you need to be your only friend. With as many opportunities that are presented at school, you will have a lot of time on your own and that is okay! What I would highly recommend is to not take that alone time for granted. Much like how you enjoy learning about what your friends like and dislike, you should be the same way with yourself. Take these times alone to really zero in on what you find joy in, what may grind your gears a bit and everything in between. You should be your biggest supporter but also allow yourself room for self-reflection and criticism. When you make a mistake, recognize it but do not hold that against yourself for a long period of time. You are human. Mistakes will be made. Recognize them, learn from them and move on. You will enjoy your time at school a lot more if you care for and love yourself as you would love and care for a friend.
Do Something But Not Everything
I mentioned this before but there will be a ton of opportunities on campus. Of course, if you are like me, this means more opportunities to expand your network and to meet new people. It could be very easy to try to do everything that looks even the tiniest bit appealing to you but avoid that at all costs. It simply is not realistic. Narrow it down to just two or three organizations/other responsibilities and run with those. I would suggest something that is more of a social gathering, something that has to do with your major or minor and then something that is completely new to you. One of the biggest points of college is to expose yourself to new experiences so what a better way of doing so than diving right into something new. Remember, though, you still need time for classes, homework, rest, etc., so just keep that in mind when pursuing opportunities.
Sacrifice
A huge realization I had was just how much those I loved have sacrificed for me to actually be here on campus. My parents have sacrificed for me my entire life and I really feel that when I am walking around campus from class to class and slaving away on assignments at two in the morning. Honestly, I am still in disbelief that I am actually here and that is all thanks to the sacrifices that my parents have made for me. They have made this possible and I cannot thank them both enough. I have always appreciated my parents but have not always been the best at showing it and they both would be the first ones to agree with that but I have such a greater appreciation for them. Love cannot really be measured but with the way that they have always believed in me, even when there was not much reason to, I have gotten a true sense of just how much they love me. I love you both. Thank you.
