As the final days of summer come to an end and move-in day approaches, an incoming freshman’s mind is filled with eagerness and excitement about starting their college journey. Among the enthusiastic attitude is a hint of apprehension and nerves that creep up in your thoughts. You start to realize that while you can’t wait to start a new chapter of your life in college, you might find yourself having a hard time leaving some of the things in this list behind.
1. Dreading saying goodbye to your hometown friends vs. the excitement of making new ones at college.
It's probably the most heartbreaking part of leaving your boring town, the last hug between you and your best friends. You’ve been inseparable since 3rd grade, and now your squad is being forced to break apart because you’ve all chosen different colleges to attend. Sure, you will text and Snapchat them 24/7, but you can’t make plans to watch Grey’s Anatomy every Friday night like you did all throughout high school. It most likely won't be as bad as you think it will be. College is all about finding yourself. Once you find people to hang out with, you will feel just as comfortable with them, and form a bond like the ones you had with your friends from home.
2. Having your room all to yourself at home vs. living with a roommate in a dorm room.
The transition from your room in your parents’ house to a cramped dorm room is probably the most nerve-racking thing about being a freshman. If you’re anything like me, your room is your sanctuary where your cozy bed and flat screen TV are. Most importantly, it's where you can be alone. That will not be the case in a dorm, where you are always within 5 ft from your roommate. Hopefully, you and your roommate hit it off and actually enjoy each others (constant) company. You both are most likely in the same boat and want to make the little amount of space you have work. Who knows, you and your roommate could end up having a dorm that looks just like one from Pinterest.
3. Having your parents tell you what to do vs. being on your own.
You might have just read that and thought, “That’s the best part of going off to college.” Leaving the nest and being free from your helicopter parents and annoying siblings sounds basically perfect. But, are you really ready to do your own laundry and not be able to cuddle with your pet every day? Everyone thinks finally being on your own with the freedom to experience new things will be awesome, and it will be! However, everyone will probably get homesick at some point, and wish Thanksgiving break would come faster so they can return home and spend time with the family they really missed. Just don't forget that feeling sad is totally normal, and your family is only a phone call away.
Freshman year will definitely be a learning experience, and a time for you to grow. It's going to be an adventure and you will feel all the emotions you can think of while you make the transition from home life to college life. I know if we try not to focus all of our energy on stressing out over these things and instead prepare ourselves for the overwhelming experience that we are in for, we’ll all love our freshman year.
