As a junior this year, I can honestly say that I still get overwhelmed with emotions in the weeks and days before parents weekend. I find myself happy, excited, scared, nervous, and most importantly frantic over the idea that my family is coming and I've just been alone for months.

The first feeling you have is excitement.

My parents call once every couple of days, and in the weeks before parents weekend, they tend to always mention exactly how many days until they get to see me. Immediately I am filled with so much excitement. I just want to give my Mom a hug, hang out with my sister, and listen to my Dad's jokes. At this point, I too begin to count down the days. Having them around makes me feel at home and gives me a feeling of safety. That safety net comes from their comfort. Seeing them somehow will make my worries about school and socialization go away. I know that when they come I'll be eating good food, out at nice restaurants, that I don't have to pay for. There will also be goodies from home and shopping sprees.

After the excitement hits, I normally begin to get sad and emotional.

At this time, you realize how much your parents love you and how much you actually miss them. I now understand how much they actually did for me all my life and how much I truly depend on them. During this sad phase, the next couple of days get truly rough. I find myself calling my parents a lot more and needing their distant comfort. I demand their reassurance that what I am doing is correct, even though it is the same things I have been doing for months now.

Within the sadness comes extreme nervousness.

That need for reassurance creates anxiety with your every move. You want your parents to be proud of who you are and what you have done with your life. In the days coming, my bed is made perfectly every day. I make dinner that doesn't include a microwavable part. I do all of my laundry, and fold it, and put it away all in the same day. My floor is spotless, and I clean crevices I never knew existed. I want to impress my parents, but no matter what I do, it still doesn't look good enough.

This worry about impressing your parents then makes you angry for a short time.

I have survived and lived on my own for so long and now my parents are going to come and intrude in my space. They are going to make comments and move things to their liking when they don't even live there. And then I get angry at myself for trying to impress my parents. My parents know me better than myself, they know my good and bad habits. They should already know what my place is going to look like. Either way, they are going to love me, right?

Then, before you know it the day is there! Your parents are coming, and all of these emotions are formulated into one.

With one look at your parents, you don't know whether to scream or cry happy tears. Usually, I do both and so do they. Then, with a blink of an eye, parents weekend is over. My family is once again walking out the door and not coming back. Once again, all these emotions fill your system and you don`t know what to do.

So, after three parents weekends, what have I learned? First, all of these emotions are totally normal. I've also learned that no matter how hard I try to make them go away, I will not be able to. Each year my parents still cry, they still find things to clean and move in my house, but most importantly they still love me.