Coming to college as an only child, I was worried that the lifestyle I was accustomed to would not fit in with the college experience. Being an only child led to many hours in my room by myself or quiet days around the house with my parents. I loved having my house and especially my room as a place to have some time to myself and have complete and total privacy.
That is not how college is.
College is filled with new people, and lots of them. Your parents are nowhere to be seen, and your room that serves as your own private space is also someone else’s. People wander the halls and may even just pop their heads in your door at any moment. Total privacy is hard to come by.
I was anxious thinking about this while I began preparing for college. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to have people around me at all times when I’m so used to having time to myself without going crazy. However, I found that I was worrying about nothing. It is possible to get the alone time an only child wants and needs while still being surrounded with some of the best people you will ever meet. I have adjusted better than I would have thought to living with someone else, and I even enjoy it.
As for missing my parents, I definitely do. It’s hard going from coming home to the same two people every day to seeing them once a month or so. As an only child, your parents are your true best friends and you’re extremely close. But not having them around has not kept me from having a great time in college, and we are still as close as ever. Talking on the phone with them can do wonders to ease any weirdness you may be feeling about being away from home.
When I just can’t handle being around people anymore, or I want my own space, I have found spots around campus to go and have my own privacy. I highly recommend finding your own place that seems like just yours to get that sense of home in such a new and different place. Sometimes to get the quiet time I crave, I leave for class 30 minutes early or so and sit on the steps outside and carve out my own little space. This is a great way to have your own moment in silence. Even if people are walking past, no one will approach you and you can relax.
While I love having my own sort of “me” time, college has taught me that having people and friends around is not a curse, but instead an opportunity to share your life in a way that you haven't had the chance to do as an only child. Amazing friends are there to celebrate and cry with you, and I never feel like my privacy is taken away. Being an only child is a unique experience and it’s weird to all of a sudden have a much more public life, but with the friends you will make you won’t mind the change. By finding your own private time and talking to your parents often, you will transition from the only child life to a world of roommates and friends, and you will have the most fun of your life.
