Finding your college-fit isn’t always the easiest process. It’s overwhelming and at 18 years old it’s hard to decide where you want to spend the next four years of your life. When I started looking at schools, I knew I wanted to be able to live on campus. Part of me was excited to start a new adventure. It was a hard adjustment, but looking back I think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made.

It’s funny how even after three years worth of move-in days it never gets easier to say good-bye when your family leaves. No matter how comfortable I am on campus or how excited I am to see my friends, my heart always hurts a little on the first day back. However, I think that I needed to find my independence and myself in general by living an hour and a half away from home. If I had gone home every weekend, I wouldn’t be as confident in myself as I am today.

Living in a dorm was an experience I needed to take on new challenges. I had to do my own laundry, come up with my own eating schedule, and share my space with five new people. It was something I needed to go through in order to become the confident woman I am today.

I’m not going to lie and say that it was always easy. There were definitely times where I didn’t think I’d be able to do it. Often, I found myself wishing I could just go home and be with my hometown friends. However, the reality was that my hometown friends were also living on campuses and trying to adjust the same way I was.

Last weekend, I had my final move-in day for college. As I was setting up my room I realized how far I’ve come in the last four years. While I still called my mom with a few panicked phone calls the first week, I was able to resolve all of my scheduling conflicts on my own. It seems like a no-brainer that by now I can handle all of these things. However, I don’t think I’d as confident in my ability to be an independent adult if I hadn’t gone away to school.

I think that the best thing about going away to school was finding my second home and my second family. Friendships happen so quickly when you’re all going through the same things and seeking the same support. My college town will always have a special place in my heart. Even though I have months until graduation, I can’t help but get sentimental when I think of leaving.

I’ve grown more than I could have imagined in these last four years. Of course, I thank my parents for always encouraging me to stay positive when I can’t help but get a little homesick. Living on-campus isn’t for everyone, but it was something I needed to help me grow. I can easily say, I wouldn’t trade these memories for anything.