When I was a senior in high school, I knew that I was going to leave the state after graduation. I knew that I was going to go somewhere else when I attended college, because it was very clear to me that if I didn’t leave my small hometown in New Jersey to go to school, I never would. I wanted to experience the world and everything it had to offer. I knew that there was more to learn elsewhere than there was from the town that graduated 236 students in 2014. However, I didn’t realize how much that town and my parents had actually taught me until I left.

I’ve never really realized just how well my parents raised me until I moved away and saw how other people my age acted… And all I can really say is that I cannot express enough how grateful I am to my parents. The way you’re raised has a lot to do with how you’ll treat others when you grow up, and my parents have always told me that respect and manners will get you very far in life. They couldn’t have been more correct. It still blows my mind to this day when I see people my age disrespect others, whether it be a coach, a professor, a campus worker, or even their peers. Disrespect and a lack of manners are both very present in college students today, and it’s crazy to think that people who act that way have made it this far.

Sure, when you go away to college you have an increased sense of independence. Suddenly, you’re sharing a room the size of a prison cell with another individual whom you have never met before, and you have to wear flip flops in the shower. You have to buy groceries for your room because your mom won’t go to the store every Sunday and get what you need for the week. You’ll also learn to hide those groceries from your friends whenever they come over, because food becomes an expensive and glorious luxury that you’ll want to keep all to yourself. You’re all alone, and while you have resources on hand, you won’t have them forever. In four short years, you will have to teach yourself to live on your own and be an adult. That time flies by, it really does, and you have to attempt to learn as much as you can about the world in the process.

I’ve only completed two of my four years so far, but I have learned so much in that amount of time already. I’ve learned that I have incredible parents who have really done such a phenomenal job in raising both my younger brother and myself. I’ve learned that I will try my hardest to do the same for my children when it comes time for me to do so. I’ve learned that treating people with respect and reverence will ultimately pay off for you in the end. I’ve learned that you should keep an open mind and allow yourself to experience new things with curiosity and optimism; that way, you can handle whatever life throws at you and adjust accordingly. I’ve learned that you should appreciate where you are today, but that you should never forget where you came from. Unfortunately, I’ve also learned that Netflix will in fact suck you in and refuse to let you go until it’s the end of the semester and you’re left wondering whether or not you even went to class and where your pants ended up. Seriously, be careful with Netflix. But ultimately, just go into college with an open mind, and just try to be nice to others. I promise, it will work out for you in the end.