With college move-in day quickly upon us, it's easy to get absorbed in packing preparation talk, and dorm decor ideas. However, from personal experience, I found one thing no magazine article or Pinterest board prepared me for was saying goodbye to my parents.
Of course, the goodbye process is different for everyone. What I've come to find is that parents assume we are fine and that they are the only ones who are emotional. In many cases, including my own, parents are not the only ones who shed a tear or two during this bittersweet moment.
Sure, we might not glance over our shoulder as we're walking away. Yes, we might keep it together and shrug off the goodbye like it's no big deal. Does that mean it's not hard for us saying goodbye to the people who have fed us, laundered us, clothed us, and sheltered us for the past 18 years of our life? Does that mean we won't miss them? Or that we don't love them as much as they love us? Absolutely not! We're just good at hiding it.
For all incoming students (and inquisitive parents), here are 24 depictions of what it's really like saying goodbye to parents at college:
1. You stall in your dorm room, knowing what comes next but suddenly feeling weirdly emotional.
2. You wonder why you feel emotional when you have been waiting for this moment of freedom your entire life.
3. Your parents mention traffic and how late it’s getting, you know it's time.
4. You brace yourself.
5. You walk down the stairs for what seems like an eternity.
7. You suddenly have an urge to hold your mom's hand again like you did when you were younger.
8. But then quickly snap out of it.
9. It's fine, you're fine, everything is fine. ![]()
10. The footsteps stop – Oh God. It’s time.
11. Your parents pull you in for a tearful hug.
12. The lump in your throat returns.
13. You blink 100 times a minute to rid the oncoming tears.
14. *Regain composure, pull away, laugh uncomfortably, roll your eyes.*
15. You somehow creek out a quick "I love you."
16. You catch a glimpse of your parents' faces and see tears falling down their cheeks.
17. This, of course, makes you even more emotional.
18. You quickly turn around before they see your own tears fall.
19. You let the tears fall.
20. You scold yourself for crying like a baby on your first day of college.
21. But you can't help yourself! It's not until this moment that you realize how much you love your parents and how deeply you will miss them...
22. ...And how lucky you are to have such wonderful parents who raised you and helped bring you to where you are today.
23. No matter how old, you will always have your parents to thank for that.
24. You make a mental note to give them an extra big hug at Thanksgiving.
Thanks again for everything, Mom and Dad.
