Daycare… Preschool…Elementary…
Mom and Dad: Bye sweety! Bye baby! Have a good day at school! You'll be getting picked up at 2:00 PM right in the front. Love you!
Child: Bye Mommy and Daddy!
High School…
Mom and Dad: Bye, see you tonight have a good day! Please drive safe and don't forget to do that errand for me after you get out of school.
Child: Okay, bye love you, have a good day.
College…
Mom and Dad: Bye, see you in 3 months, don't get too crazy and don't forget to call! Don't go to parties! Don't drink and drive! Don't-
College student: Mom, Dad, I'm an adult now, I know what to do, I can do what I want now.
Wow… after reminiscing on the time lapse from grade school until now… there is a lot that people don't teach you when preparing you for the future, especially when going to college. There is so much more to college than just the "fun" and "education" background itself.
Family and Home
Not only is it hard on you to go away to college, but your family may secretly have a hard time dealing with it. There is a lot of decisions to make. Seeking the family approval. Finances.Homesickness. Being away from family is hard. Not seeing them every week. Anticipating fall break to come faster so we can be at home again. But when home time comes around, the appreciation for it is much higher than before. You realize a lot things. What kind of things you may be thinking? You really have your own life now. Your life doesn't revolve around anyone at this particular time. You revolve around yourself. It's your plan, but most importantly, God's plan for you.
The Purpose
We all don't realize in the moment what the purpose of being in college is supposed to be for. We of course know why we are there, to get an education. But we start doubting ourselves within those first few months. There's so many thoughts and questions that go through the new college student mind. This is a new surrounding. Where Is that landmark back at home I love driving by every week. The weather is different. I don't know any of these people. Will I be alone? Why am I alone? No friends? What kind of friends will I get? Did I pick the right school? Am I really confident in the major that I chose? Could I see myself doing this? Why does this have to be so hard? There's one thing after another to stress about. OKAY, PUMP YOUR BRAKES. Sometimes, thinking about that all of the time gets too much. This is the time where students do need to see some fun things to do on campus to look away from all stress factors. The stress is still there, but it would help our poor brains a lot to step back for a little bit so we don't cause dangerous harm to our mental health. When we focus on the bad too much, it takes away the blessing of being a college student. The blessing of having a support system back at home rooting for you and your dreams.
Being able to attend school because a lot of people can't for different reasons. Taking the time to see our strengths and weaknesses are. Finding things out for yourself instead of relying on others to do it or figure it out for you. How are we gonna grow if we don't push ourselves? How are we going to know what we are capable of if we don't try? College is one of the best ways to put your mind to a lot of tests and lifestyle decisions. Let's be real… no one will ever prepare you enough for college. It is one of those things where you can get all the tips + advice in the world, but everyone is different. People handle things differently and not everything will work for everyone the same way as it might work for someone else. You can read a book, see a counselor, but the concepts of being a college student and a human-BEING all still come from natural instincts and self-decision making. Asking for help is a must in college, but you also have to be willing to stand on your own two feet and put in crazy amounts of effort. Now now now… I must say even asking for help is hard. It does not come like a piece of cake. You gotta go in the store and dig for that specific piece of cake that you are looking for.
WHAT YOU PUT IN IS WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE. Always remember that.