I’m just going to put this out there… I’m scared to go away to college.
Now don’t get me wrong I am so excited to be able to live my life independently, but having five older siblings means that I know college is not all that glamorous at times. Facing these problems that college brings up means that I will have to face them on my own. Forcing me to grow up. But I’m not ready for that yet- I don’t want to grow up.
This newfound independence that we are all craving can actually be a shock for some when they go to college. Growing up with five older siblings made me grow up faster in my opinion, and when I was younger I loved this. I loved when people were surprised by my age or told me how mature I was for my age. It flattered me. I wanted to be just like my older siblings. I wanted the freedom and experiences they were getting to do waaay before I could even comprehend what going away to college meant for them.
As our deadline to choose our colleges approaches, here are some of my concerns paired with things I am excited for regarding each topic (hopefully easing some of my fears and maybe some of yours).
SLEEP
How in the world do you sleep in those noisy dorm rooms??? I am a very temperamental sleeper, I always have been. The room needs to be the perfect temperature, the fan needs to be on at all times, and it needs to be very quiet.
Although I’m nervous about missing sleep, I am excited to have my own space and to have a roommate that hopefully I will be close with. I am also excited to be able to stay out a little later and catch up on the sleep later at night to later in the morning. No more waking up at 6:30 (hopefully). If I can’t sleep… there is always melatonin.
Friends…
Most of my best friends I have been friends with for five plus years. Some of them I have gone to elementary school, middle school, and high school with. I am scared and really sad that I will be so far from the people that are now only five to ten minutes away.
On the other hand, it’s going to be so exciting to meet so many new people. Even though I love Naperville, I can admit it is a bit of a bubble. I think it will be really refreshing and good to meet new people and make new friends.
Family
This is kind of a tough one and I honestly think it is the hardest for me. Growing up, my siblings were my best friends, and still are. We are such a tight knit family that being far from home really scares me.
This one is really hard to counter with something besides that my family can come to visit me and I can hopefully come home somewhat frequently.
My dog
Okay I know this one might seem kind of weird but it is a real concern of mine. Whenever I am having a bad day, getting home to see my dog always cheers me up. Whenever I am bored, I love to take him out and play with him, he always has a lot of energy. My dog is also my running partner. On day I don’t have track practice or I have to practice on my own, he is always ready to go for a run.
This one, just like family, is kind of hard. It will be weird for me to not come home to an ecstatic dog but a change that I will be able to adapt to. Same as my family, I will be able to see my dog when I am home for breaks or if my parents bring him when they come to visit. This also means that he will be even more excited the next time he sees me.
At first this post was only my fears but as I wrote it I realized that every negative has a positive too. It is always easier for us to see our fears and allow them to make us hesitant and hold us back. But this does no good, it doesn’t allow us to grow or change. So even though I’m still a little scared of college and growing up, I know that we will all be okay wherever we end up.
I loved this post because we are totally on the same page. I also wrote this week’s post about being afraid to leave the bubble that is here. It’s weird to think that we’re going to be picking up and leaving the streets we made all our childhood memories on in just a few short months.
I really enjoyed how a lot of your thoughts culminated with a positive outlook. I think it’s really easy to get caught up in the unknowns about leaving like where we’re going and what it’s going to be like when we get there. Something that scares me is the friend situation, just like you had mentioned. Reading this post was a nice reminder that I’m not the only one going through these things and there is a postive waiting on the other side of this fear. Overall, thanks for reminding me that i’m not alone in this journey.
Hey Julia,
I really liked your post because I am also really nervous for college, for a lot of the same reasons you are. I just turned 18, and it was kind of a slap in the face being called an adult. I know that in a few months I will be forced to be very independent and responsible, and like you I really have no desire to grow up.
Honestly, one of my biggest fears is also going to be how I’m going to survive without my dog. Just like you, my dog is my best friend, and we do almost everything together. I can’t imagine not seeing his cute face everyday.
But, I like that you mentioned all the positive factors too. Because although college is scary, and that it may be hard to adjust, the reality is that it’s also going to be really fun too. We need to keep in mind that everything turns out for the best, even if we don’t see it that way at first.
Hi Julia! I can totally relate to this post. I am very scared to go to college, I have no idea what to expect. Unlike you, I am the oldest in my family, so I will be the first to be leaving home for college. I am very nervous as to what to expect because it is going to be a totally new experience. I am very sad to be leaving my friends and family as well because they have been with me my entire life. Leaving them is very scary because I will have to make new relationships with people that I am just getting to know. Also, I am very very very sad that I will not be able to see my dog everyday. I already know that I will be facetiming my parents for the sole purpose of seeing my dog. I know that college will bring a lot of new experiences into my. Overall I would say I am definitely excited for college, but there are still some nerves about it too. Either way, I think that college will be a great experience to help me grow as a person.