College is difficult. No matter what your major is, no matter what kind of classes you take, no matter what year you are, it’s hard for all of us. College is also something you have to get used to. Freshmen year is the toughest in terms of homesickness. Being away for the first time and trying to figure your life out is not easy. Being away from your parents is one of the tougher aspects of college life. It’s weird not living with them and not having them around to assist with every decision you make. They also aren’t there to make sure you’re doing everything you’re supposed to be doing. It’s also weird just not being around the same people you’ve been around for 18 years.
What can make it easier, though, is the knowledge that they are supporting you no matter what school you’re at and no matter how far away you are. It can make a huge difference in the adjustment period and just every other period of college life to know that they are behind you with everything you do. It’s nice to be able to talk to them throughout the day and see them on parents’ weekend. It’s also nice when you go home and get to value the time you’re spending with them more than ever.
So, thank you to the parents who are ready to help with all the hard decisions and all the obstacles that stick up throughout the average college career. Thank you to the parents who tell their children not to give up no matter how hard school gets. Thank you to the parents who provide all they can so their child can be comfortable at school. Thank you to the parents who remain constantly helpful and strong with every mistake that gets made. Thank you to the parents who can be so far away yet feel so close with every phone call and text message. Thank you to the parents who understand because they went to college or maybe they didn’t but they’re still willing to learn and want this for their own children. Thank you to the parents who encourage their children to remain strong whether they’re a new freshmen or a senior.
Many people I know say they never truly appreciated their parents until they went away to school and then weren’t around them anymore. College is a large transition and the very beginning of not only adulthood, but the beginning of a new relationship between you and your parents. You start to understand more how hard they have worked for you and how much they want for you to be great. So, work hard and appreciate what they have given you up to this point and also what they continue to give you. It may seem hard now, but it will be worth it eventually.
