Most people are starting college or returning back to it and although I am ecstatic to see my friends and even some professors again, there are still plenty of things I will miss being away from home that I cannot get at school. Freshmen may not realize it right now, but soon enough you will see that there is no place like home.
1. Home-cooked meals
Depending on your university, the food will be amazingly delicious or it will be garbage. Either way, you are still going to want your mom's chicken or dad's pasta and probably beg to have some the next time you are at home.
2. Pets
My dog and I do everything together, whether that is jogging, eating, watching television or cuddling, so to be a few hours across the country or even overseas away from my best friend for a massive amount of time is absolute torture. Thankfully, videochatting exists for me to see her whenever I can. If I could, I would have her in my dorm, but with my luck I would get caught in a minute.
3. Family
You may get annoyed at them, especially at brothers and sisters, but your family is your support system. They have been with you for your entire life up until this point. They are the people that know you best and can easily put a smile on your face.
4. Laundry
Some schools are lucky enough to have free-of-charge laundry machines and even a service that allows you to have someone else to do your laundry for you. As for others, however, they can require you to pay for each machine and sometimes you can't fill it up entirely. Don't even get me started on the creeps that will take your clothes, even underwear. It still amazes me that I will find my laundry folded though by the time I come back to get it. You are the real MVP.
5. Hot showers
At home, it takes maybe a few seconds to a couple minutes to get hot water in the shower, but at college you might not receive hot water for over 20 minutes! It is certainly a struggle when you just got back from practice or a late class and you just want to knock out on your bed as soon as possible. If you get a person in the next shower over from you that starts a conversation, it is not as bad if you need to kill time waiting for hot water unless it is the weirdo that lives in your hall.
6. Internet
You can be on a part of campus where the WiFi connection is weak or stops working and of course it happens at the worst possible time, whether it is sending a paper by a particular time or registering for classes. At least when I am at home, the internet automatically connects and runs fast for me to complete any important errands or tasks I need to get done.
7. Wellness Center
Everyone at college gets sick. You might have never gotten sick back in high school, but believe me, you will eventually get sick and it will be like death. Your school's wellness center will be lined up with students immediately at the beginning of the year, winter time and during allergy season in spring to only offer antibiotics and no real medicine. That waiting room will be so packed you might catch something from someone sitting next to you and get extra sick. At least when I am home, my mom can make her classic chicken soup, I can make tea and easily take a nap in my comfortable bed. At school, maybe you don't have easy access to those or your floor is too noisy to sleep!
8. Your bed
College mattresses are lumpy and could carry bed bugs from a previous owner. You need to buy the foam and the covers just to make it almost as perfect as your mattress at home.
9. Mailroom
There is no line to wait at home to receive your packages, but at school you have to go to a building and wait on an outrageously long line to pick up a simple box. Thankfully we don't need to do that to pick up letters.
10. Library
One of the prime locations you could be found on campus is at the library doing your work. Especially when it gets close to midterm and finals time, it will be so packed you would think everyone and their mothers were there, too. Unfortunately, as sad as it is, public libraries nowadays are not used as much anymore where you could probably find the perfect place at any time of day and year to study and do work. It is definitely one feature I miss being at home besides actually checking out books for my own self to read.
11. Technology Support Center
Most of the people that work at the technology center are young students who have not had that much experience handling issues that could occur on computers and other devices. It is frustrating as hell, but it is free. If you go to a retail store that can instantly fix your computer you might be costing yourself high amounts of money. You win some, you lose some!
When days get tough, you might find yourself contemplating to transfer to another school so that you can be closer to home. Trust me, the thought has come across my mind a few times. Right now as a third-year student, I adore my school and would never transfer. I love the people here too much and have created so many opportunities and experiences I would never trade for at another school. Being away at college is not that bad though. I met awesome people I am glad to call my best friends who are like family that help make the transition easier.
