College can be a very lonely place and it can seem huge at times. My first year at school, I had a hard time adjusting to the fact that I was away from my family, and all my friends from home. It also feels very strange to be fully taking care of yourself and not having people around you all the time. You just have to continue to remember that everyone else here also feels the exact same way, and you aren't alone.
One of the biggest things that helped me adjust to living on my own was surrounding myself with my friends whenever I was missing my family, and just being around people who love you and care about you really helps. Also, do not be ashamed to call your parents frequently. It may seem like you are constantly calling them, but in reality, your family is missing you just as much as you are missing them, and they want to hear from you as much as you want to talk to them.
Another thing to make sure you aren't pushing yourself too hard and juggling too many things at once because being stressed and overwhelmed is going to make you miss home even more. You will start to think of all the times your parents helped you with things. Also, it is important to take care of yourself. You don't have anyone but yourself to tell you to take your vitamins or eat your vegetables, and the last thing you want to do is end up physically sick as well as homesick.
Distracting yourself and finding the positive factors about being away from home is also key. I know that when I went to college I actually found that I started having a closer relationship with my mom and brother because since I wasn't living in the same house we wouldn't get into dumb arguments anymore. Additionally, every time I was missing my friends from home I thought about how many new friends I had made while at school and it gave me a lot of comfort, knowing that I wasn't all by myself at what felt like such a huge school.
Trust me, it takes time to adjust to being on your own but in the end, you will realize that becoming a young adult is more exciting than it is scary, and you have to slowly start branching out of your comfort zone to realize it. I finally am starting to feel like I am getting the hang of everything and it has taken me three years, so trust me it does not come quickly, and you have to realize you are not alone. Most everyone else I know in college is also in the same spot of not knowing exactly how to handle taking care of everything by themselves. It gets easier and you will get into the swing of living on your own and having your own life away from your parents.
