To the college freshman about to leave their best friend behind,
You will experience two feelings:
1. The excitement of getting out of your normal routine and meeting new people; and
2. The daunting feeling of leaving everyone you know for something completely different.
But just like everyone else says, it will be OK.
Leaving for college is one of the biggest steps you could take at 18, but what they don’t tell you is that leaving your hometown best friend is just as hard as leaving your parents.
How could you expect to just leave someone that knows everything about you? You can’t. The truth is, nothing will be the same. You won’t ever experience the high school dances or the homecoming games together again, and though it’s tough to face, it’s reality. You wont have the opportunity to reminisce about the crazy times you had together running around at night and going to bonfires or prank calling people at sleepovers. But just because you're in two different places doesn't mean that your friendship is over. We’re just at that age where we have to start acting a little bit more like our parents than the kids we see walking around downtown.
The difference between your friendship now and when you were in high school is just that the both of you are maturing. You’re making friends with your roommate and the people on your floor, and so are they! They are still your best friend.
Bottom line--when you leave for college, don't leave them behind just because you're about to try something new. Who knows, if you fail (we all hope you don't), they'll be the first one to catch you when you fall. No one could ever replace your childhood friend, and though growing up and moving away is tough, you can always count on them to pick you up when you're down.
I can't count how many times I cried when I left my best friend. We were inseparable and the good news is, we still are. Leaving for school doesn't mean leaving forever. So if there's one thing that I wish all college freshman understood, it's that your best friend is still your best friend and that college isn't goodbye.
