College is a time in our lives where we are figuring out “what we want to be when we grow up,” let alone who we want to be when we grow up. On top of this, there are clubs, internships and jobs we are joining to add to our resume, we are trying to figure out expectations of our teachers and course load for each semester, and on top of all of this, trying to stay happy, healthy and financially and emotionally stable. Needless to say, this is a time of stress overload.

When we go away to college, we are faced with the adjustment away from home and our families. Personally, I am very close with my family and we have dinners and get-togethers with my extended family nearly every weekend. So, being away from this at school can be really hard sometimes. Even harder (if I’m being honest) is being away from my pups. I have the coolest German Shepherd and the biggest pain-in-the-neck mutt, and not getting to see them every day is really hard… Especially when my siblings post them on Snapchat or send me cute pictures of them sleeping or eating or playing.

Now, when I’m at school, any time I see any kind of dog, my heart just melts. I can’t help but to pet the dogs and talk to them in a dog voice like they actually understand me and speak English. We all look crazy doing it, but that will never stop us from doing it. College kids love dogs because of the feeling of home they provide us, amongst the feeling of love, loyalty, safety and trust. If you ever need a dog sitter, I can guarantee nearly any one on a college campus would love to help out since it would mean getting a weekend with a dog curled up next to you when working on homework, or a motivator to get out and get active.

Dogs are the best form of stress relief and are a damn good reason for kids to go outside and be active. You're never alone when you have your true best friend by your side, and no one has ever felt like a better person than when their dog hears their food being poured into the bowl. Having gone through a tough relationship, I always had the sweetest pup by my side through it all, and now that I have gotten through the hardest part of moving on from my ex, I'm still struggling to accept the fact I won't get to see his dog again (sorry, it's the truth).