Everyone’s college experience is different. Some stay in their home state, others travel worldwide, and some jump straight into the workforce. For me, I decided to travel to a different state. Luckily, I didn’t go too far away, but far enough to where I wouldn’t see people I knew. Going to college is an exciting time with new friendships, self-discovery, and pursuing passions. With all the exciting things, you still have some hard moments like homesickness, lack of friends, and a new environment. For me, I faced it all in the first three months of my freshman year.Â
Homesickness comes in waves. It’s never just a one and done moment. The first week is always really hard: transitioning from being around your family, friends and even the neighborhood. Being away from it all caused me to be really homesick, but keeping in touch with my family and friends helped a lot. I would call them almost every day, just talking about random things or even playing video games over the phone. Always remember that it’s okay to feel this way, every student is going through it to some extent. Finding other out-of-state students also helps since you have something in common, thus a friendship can be born!Â
Speaking of friendships, making friends was the hardest for me when moving away. No one tells you, but in college you actually have to make an effort to make friends. Being from a different state didn’t necessarily help that. I felt like an outsider, seeing everyone buddied up, laughing and having fun. It takes the courage to put yourself out there. So take that step and do it! There are a couple of ways to make new friends in a new state. Joining clubs and going to events are some of the main ways I’ve met people. I think these are the easiest ways because the environment is so welcoming so you’ll be able to spark up a conversation.Â
One less serious thing to adjust to when going out of state is the weather. I’m attending a school in Florida and the weather is very different from where I’m from: very humid during summer, with a chill only setting in starting November or December. Where I’m from, as soon as October hits, the weather takes a turn for the worst (I hate being cold). This meant I had to change half of my wardrobe since I didn’t have many clothes for warmer weather. It was a fun challenge to overcome because I love shopping!
Last, but definitely not least, when you go out of state, you have a whole new city to explore. I came from a small town with not much to do, so now that I’m somewhere new, there are tons of places to see. You and your newfound friends can even explore these new places together! One friend I made is from another city in Florida, so she was new to this city too! We spent a whole day exploring different areas around our campus. This will help elevate your freshman experience; discover new places and invite your friends out too!
The beginning was really hard — adjusting to a new city, new state, with all new people. Nevertheless, my freshmen year so far has been amazing. It was difficult, but I’m so glad that I had the courage to take the risk because now I’ve met some really good friends and had so many fun memorable moments. If you’re struggling like I did, it’s important to remember it won’t last forever and by implementing some of these easy elements, you will be able to create a well-rounded, but such a fun freshman year like I did!