College.
It's a word that either ignites a fury of excitement or horrifies you to your very core. College is scary. I’m not going to lie, but I’m also going to tell you that it can be the best experience of your life... if you let it. It is a time of transitioning from your childhood to adulthood.
This article is an attempt to put you at ease in this intimidating stage of life. Whether you are going three hours, 15 minutes, or 20 hours away, if you feel like everything familiar and safe is being tragically ripped away from you — then you are reading the right article.
One of the biggest terrors that plague prospective college students is the thought of leaving home, leaving friends and family, leaving familiarity, and leaving childhood behind.
By now, most of you readers are thinking “Whoa, I am NOT a child anymore. I am an adult and I am ready to see and immerse myself in the world far, far away from my family.”
Yeah, sure you are.
Yes, college is a time to see and experience the world away from your family, but we all know the minute you’re dropped off Niagara Falls will be issuing forth from both your and your parents' eyes. And that’s perfectly normal. It’s okay to miss your parents; it’s okay to not want to grow up too fast; there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. To tell you the truth, you will not be the only one with emotional parents on move-in day.
Now that we have established that, let’s talk about some tips on how to alleviate the homesickness and experience college to its fullest.
Don’t Lose Contact
Many people make mistakes here. They think now that they are out of the house that they are no longer responsible for communicating with those they left behind. Coming from a girl who left her family and friends and moved to a college eight hours away from everything familiar, communication is key. Especially for those experiencing homesickness, just calling your family and friends occasionally will make all the difference. Call them, invite them to events, visit them (and not just on breaks), and maybe even write them letters (old-school, I know). Trust me, keeping contact will not only benefit you in the short-term, but it will create meaningful relationships in the long-term.
Make Friends and Keep Them Close
You’re at college, you’re going to make friends, even if you try your hardest not to. You will (though I don’t really know why anyone would do that); but it’s the friends who take the time to sit with you when you’re sad, study with you at 1 am, go on crazy adventures, watch Netflix, eat junk food with you even though they know you’re trying to diet, give advice, and above all love you that are going to enrich your life and enhance your college experience. So whatever you do, cherish your friends and keep them close.
Get Involved
As many times as you have probably heard that, it’s true. Get involved. College is what you make it and if you sulk around your dorm room stressed by the work you have to complete, then that is what you will take away. Instead, get involved, go join clubs, play sports, volunteer, perform in plays, do charity work, run for student president, join the choir, do whatever makes you come alive; by doing that, your college experience will be more wonderful than you ever imagined.
Bottom line is, college is scary. It’s new and different, but it is also some of the greatest years of your life. You will create lifelong friends and learn along the way (which is always a plus). Don’t let this precious time in your life go to waste; make the most of it and have fun.