The idea of going to college can be scary for some people. We all grow up and can’t wait to leave home and be on our own, but when that time comes it is terrifying. I, however, had the rare experience of going to college with two of my sisters.

My sisters are older than I am, and after my oldest sister decided to attend a specific college, we all just decided to follow in her footsteps. I couldn’t be more grateful for choosing this path for myself. I was lucky enough to have a piece of family with me at school.

Leaving home for the first time can be lonely and scary. Because I went to school with my sisters, I always had someone to turn to when I didn’t have any close friends made yet. They were like a security blanket for me, but only when I really needed it. I didn’t cling to them and not find my own way, but when I was homesick or upset, I had them.

The day my parents dropped me off at school was extremely hard, but I found comfort knowing I had family right on campus with me. There were a lot of times I didn’t know where things were or the tricks of surviving on my own, but I always had my sisters to lean on. When I was upset or needed a piece of home, all I had to do was call them and they’d be there for me in a second.

Knowing people at the college you’re attending is always a plus. It opens up doors to meeting people and having things to do and places to go. Having a sister there meant I could tag along with her (when she let me) and some of her friends later became some of my friends too.

Going away to school for the first time is always hard, but having siblings there made it so much more tolerable and fun. I don’t regret following my sister to school at all. I think that when you go to the same school as your sibling, you have so many benefits. You have someone you know there which makes you feel more comfortable, you get to have someone who knows more about everything and all of the places at the school than you do, you have someone to introduce you to new people, and you have someone you love right there in case you need them, which you probably will sometimes.

If you’re lucky enough to go to school with siblings that you happen to be close to, it makes the experience of college a whole lot better.