Deciding where to go to college can be a very difficult thing. When I was in the process of picking the school that I would spend the next four years at, I looked at things like the surrounding area, the school’s reputation, and campus life. I would have never thought being just a few short hours away from home would affect me as much as it has.
I knew that I needed to be some distance from home to truly discover myself as a person as well as to find the kind of community that I wanted to surround myself with. For some people it is the first time that they are alone, for others it isn’t. Either way, it’s still going to be a little nerve wracking.
Growing up I always had support from my family, even more support when I chose a school that had the majors I wanted! Legal studies and political science. There were questions about whether some schools were too far or too close but when I finally chose Nazareth, everyone was on board. Most importantly, I loved the school.
I had the chance to move in earlier than the rest of the freshmen due to a program I’m in, Higher Education Opportunity Program, or HEOP, a program that gives students a chance at a post secondary education if they may not have been able to otherwise due to economic or academic circumstances. After everyone left for home, all of the overwhelming feelings started to hit. I wasn’t going to see them for a few months and a lot can change in that short period of time. I had never been without people like my grandmother, mother, and sisters for that long, so I started to worry.
I think it is important to acknowledge these feelings but I also think that it is important to work through them at the same time. Some of the things that helped me were spending time with friends, going home with my roommate, going to activities and even getting a meal with someone I didn’t know too well! I believe that one of the ways to overcome these feelings is to surround yourself with people who can make Nazareth feel like home. We are going to be here for the next four years and we are going to need people to lean on and to celebrate with, so why not start a new family!