I remember when I was so excited to be leaving for college. I had been looking forward to moving away from home for so long. It wasn’t because I wanted to get away from my parents. It was more based on finding my independence. I wanted to experience the “world” on my own, knowing my parents would always support me, but from home.
And it did feel that way, for a while at least. Then it was the little things that came and went where I would miss them. Whether it was eating breakfast on a Saturday morning by myself, or getting back to an empty dorm room.
I especially cannot forget about the first time I got sick. I got bronchitis during my Freshman year. There was nothing that I wanted more than my mom to bring me soup in bed and take care of me. Thankfully, I had my then-boyfriend who bought me canned soup and brought it to me. But it wasn’t the same.
The point is, I know this can be an exciting time for many people. Yet, don’t let leaving for college blind you to the fact that you will miss your parents and they will also miss you dearly. Remember that while you’re in a new room and in a new city, your parents are walking by your bedroom everyday. Your presence is in your childhood home and they will be constantly reminded of you.
Don’t be so quick to push them out the door so you can start your “college experience.”
I feel that this advice is especially important this semester with coronavirus being prevalent on college campuses across the country. My parents didn’t come and drop me off for my last year of college. I got on a plane with so much anxiety because I didn’t know whether I would be getting the virus at any point in my journey.
No one knows what to expect from this semester in college. How long are we going to be on campus for? Are we going to be sent home after a few weeks? Are people going to listen to the rules? These and more are the questions that have been going through my head at the beginning of the semester.
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That was very informative for student and parents. Thank you for letting me know how you felt.
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