Growing up is something we're all a little afraid to do whether we admit it or not. Moving away from the comfort of home to attend college brings a lot of anxiety, especially when pursuing a passion you don't even know if you'll be successful in. Whether it be losing touch with loved ones, changing majors and not having a backup plan, or even just doing your own laundry, we all have some form of doubt in our minds telling us that we shouldn't be moving away from everything we've ever known.
Moving to college may be a daunting task, but there are simple ways to keep yourself happy and healthy in preparation of being away from home.
1. Plan trips home
If you're like me and get homesick easily, planning trips home will minimize a lot of anxiety. Just knowing when you can come back allows you to focus on living your best life away from home while simultaneously being able to get excited about seeing friends and family in the future.
2. Focus on work
While it's easy to let your mind wander back to what you miss, focusing on homework and classes helps you concentrate on the tasks in front of you. If you're dedicated to getting good grades and keeping your mind occupied, your mindset will improve. Creating and accomplishing tasks will help you feel better about moving out of your house as your college will start to become your new home.
3. Be prepared
Make sure you have everything you need before moving into your dorm. It's important to have a cozy dorm to return to, so bring what is necessary to remind you of home. Not only this, but having less to worry about, like making trips to the store to get school supplies, will help you feel more prepared when entering new situations alone.
4. Take time to rest
School is important, but so is relaxing and taking care of yourself. If you're constantly working and not taking any time for yourself, you'll become overwhelmed. Being able to understand when you need time to rest is one of the most important parts of living away from home. Whether that looks like exercise, hanging out with friends, or literally resting, no one can function without giving themselves some free time.
5. Meet new people
As cheesy as it sounds, friends make the entire process of moving away from home so much easier. You don't have to find your best friends right away, but just meeting new people and finding groups you click with help to make your campus feel a little smaller, and make you feel more comfortable being there.
6. Create your own home
Your dorm is your new home, so making it feel like one shouldn't be too difficult considering you'll be spending a lot of time there. Bringing momentos from home can make you feel a lot better about leaving it. Having pictures of family, friends, and significant others can be comforting when far away from them.
Moving into a dorm can be scary, but it can also be seen as an opportunity to create a new life for yourself. While leaving family and friends behind may be a little sad, making connections, learning what you want to pursue and living on your own are just a few of the many things to look forward to when going to college.
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