As the countdown faces its final days, the emotions and the feelings finally smack you in the face and it hits: this is real and it’s happening soon. The tears from your mom on your shoulder as you hug goodbye. The overly excited jump and dance you do in your new room once family leaves. The eventual dread setting in that you’re a grown up now, and on your own. The waves of homesickness crashing over you. The “I got this, I can do this” boost of confidence once the waves begin to die down. It’s move in day.

I plan to write this in a two-part story: pre-move in and post-move in. I still have two more days to go until I begin my big adventure. Since the one week mark, I have ridden the roller coaster of emotions, and I still am. Most of it has been sadness that I’m leaving my families behind and I’m going to miss them with a mix of fear. For weeks it has been constant excitement and anxiousness for the day to finally get here. While that feeling is still there, more feelings have overrun me. But you know what? That’s all perfectly fine and normal.

This is a new chapter of our young lives. We have never experienced anything like this. It’s new and scary and exciting and freeing. It’s all of these and more. No matter how prepared and ready a person seems, nine times out of ten everyone is experiencing the same feelings. I know I am! And I thought I was one of the more prepared people. Yet I’m one of the ones who tears up because this is the last time I eat a certain meal with my family or the last time my mom takes me to a doctor appointment. Having your whole life packed away and all loose ends are tied means you’re a few steps closer to being ready for this new chapter. That all helps getting a little more prepared.

While you may feel that you’re like the only person who isn’t ready and riding the roller coaster of emotions, you aren’t. There are hundreds or thousands of other students just like you who are about to start this new experience. That may only be at your school. There are hundreds of other colleges in the U.S. and thousands more students starting this soon too. You are absolutely not alone. Upperclassmen, or upperclasswomen in my case, have all felt the same way you have within the past couple years. They understand what you’re feeling. So try talking to someone who has already been through what you are about to go through. If you’re too nervous to talk to older students, it’s alright. Each school has their own orientation program with students prepared to help you on your journey. At Hollins University, each student has an abundance of people to help and talk to at the ready. Between Student Success Leaders, Orientation Team Leaders, Big Links, and other kind students, we never have to worry about not having someone to talk to. It’s truly amazing that every student I have met so far is super willing to help.

So while you feel like the stress and emotions are going to crush you under their weight, I’m sure it will get better. We just have to adjust to being in a new environment that we have never experienced before. Good luck Class of 2020 as you start at your new schools! Next week is part two of my move in article: after moving in and adjusting.