So you've finally started college. Finally, you've moved on to the next part of your life. For most college freshmen, they now have the most freedom they've ever had in their lives. Many of them are living away from home and don't have to report their whereabouts to their parents all of the time. In other words, they are free. They of course have heard every lecture they can about college. They know it's not safe to walk home at night and what dining hall has the best food, and that they're going to miss their friends and family a lot, however, there is one thing that nobody is going to tell them as they leave for college. Besides their parents, there is a very important member of their family they will be missing.

Leaving for college, your thoughts probably aren't on leaving your pets behind. Thinking of all of your other responsibilities, leaving your pet behind doesn't come across your mind. You're going to be moving out of the home that you may have lived in for all or most of your life. The whole dynamic of where you eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom are all about to change. You're going to be introduced to a whole new group of people that will become your new friends and social group. It isn't until it's time to leave that you look down and see your dog waiting for you, and you realize that you're not going to be able to see them every day anymore. Pets are usually a constant in our lives, and so starting to live without them can be a huge adjustment, even if we may not realize it before we leave.

Pets are one of the little things in our lives that brighten our day. If we are having a tough time or just have just come home from a rough shift at work, your dog will always greet you at your door, happy to see you. Your pets are always there for you. They do not judge you or see you in any negative light; you are everything to them. You feed them, walk them, take care of them, and love them. So having this source of love in your life being taken away when continuing on with an already tough transition can be difficult.

You will miss your pets, you will wish they were at school with you, and every time you go home you look forward to seeing them. It's just another difficult part of going to college. There is one good thing about leaving your pets behind when you go to college, however, everytime you go home, it's something to look forward to, and your pet will be just as excited to see you after being apart for a while.