The first semester at college has a little bit of everything in it... high times, low times, friends, lack of friends, stress, relaxation, busy schedules, parties, downtime, smiles, tears, and just about everything in between. Overall, I am proud to say that I learned a lot from my first semester in college, especially because I chose to go away from home.
This may or may not be your first time living away from home for an extended period of time. Either way, it is a major adjustment and it does not come easy for everyone. Whether or not you are one hour, or thousands of miles away from home, this is a huge change to your way of life.
It can be difficult to not be with your family and friends every day, the way it was at home. However, there is now an (almost) endless supply of new people to meet at your school. You can create you own "family" away from your family, the same way that this is going to be your "home" away from home. Making new friends is actually easier than it might seem because everyone is in the same boat with wanting to make friends. Putting yourself out there will definitely help in your search for friends. Many people find their life-long friends in college, but don't forget about your friends at home because it could be quite lonely on breaks if you don't have them around.
Your actual living space could also be a major change from home. Personally, this was the first time I needed to share a room in a long time. This was the same for my roommate, therefore we both learned about it together. This room is going to be quite small, so you learn to make the most of your space, including under the bed space or even on top of your closet. Sadly, you can't bring EVERY piece of clothing that you own because you just do not have enough space for it.
Also, you are not in charge of what you eat. You are not being force-fed vegetables anymore, but you learn to remember to keep yourself healthy once you get sick the first time. The dining hall serves pizza, bagels, and cookies just about every single day, but you learn to remind yourself that there is also fruit and vegetables every day.
There is no longer a curfew since your parents aren't around. However, in order to keep yourself healthy, you still need to get a good amount of sleep every night especially when you are as busy as an average college student. Eight hours is a serious necessity... like no joke.
All in all, college is an incredible experience and you learn so much about yourself. Although I have only been away for one semester, living away from home was one of the best decisions I could have made when choosing a college. I love and miss my family every single day, but luckily, I have been able to grow into a woman and become much more independent.
