The day I finally decided to go away to school was hands down one of the biggest days of my life. Throughout all my years of schooling, college was the ultimate goal. No matter what major I went for, getting a degree was of utmost importance and that was always drilled into my head. Being a very family oriented person, the idea of leaving was, well, scary. Not being able to see my brothers or friends every day was a hard thought to swallow. The school I chose to attend is over four and half hours away, and seeing as how the longest amount of time I had been away from home was two weeks, emotions were at an all time high.

While graduation is a special time, and the summer before you leave for school is supposed to be when the best memories happen, it can also be one of the hardest. So many goodbyes, so much packing, and so many thoughts and feelings run rampant. I can say that while I dealt with all of this, the thought of transferring to a university in my hometown sounded better and better. But then it hit me, I'd be in high school all over again.

As a person, I have always carried a sense of doubt about myself. Most of the time, I am my own worst enemy. Going away for college taught me that I can do things on my own; I can be an independent girl. I don't need to rely on others for help, I don't have to be home by midnight, I can see new friends whenever and wherever I want, and most importantly, I can take time to focus on me. While college is extremely challenging and there have been many long sleepless nights, I think moving away from home is an experience everyone needs. There have definitely been moments where I still contemplate moving home and commuting to school, but what good would that do? I'll be around the same people, the same environment, and do everything there is to do before the new college kids do, but without my friends at my side. College is a time for YOU to figure out just exactly who you are and who you were meant to be. So go do that, without fear and without hesitation. At least try, even if you realize being away from the security of your home eventually isn't for you. Because then, at least you can say you got the experience.