When I first moved into college, I found that many things that were once part of my life at home were missing. However, I found that thinking about everything that I don’t exactly miss helps me cope with homesickness. After almost completing one full year of college, I can now fully see the parts of pre-college life that I miss, as well as the parts that I am content to live without.
What I miss about pre-college life:
Having more privacy – Unless you either have a roommate who’s out a lot or you don’t have one at all, privacy in college is hard to find. When I’m having a bad day and want some space for myself, I sometimes find that a bathroom stall is one of my only good options. Back at home, I could easily find more privacy for myself.
Clean showers/bathrooms – Currently, there is only one clean shower on our floor. Don’t you love to shower with a stranger’s hair in the drain and a random band-aid stuck on the wall?
My family and pets – You can call, text, and video-call your family, but it won’t ever be the same as going home after school and being able to talk to them about anything in person. And, of course, you can’t call your pets. Especially during the pandemic when I was home a lot more often, I loved being able to hug my cats and play with my dog in the middle of doing homework.
Food – I come from a Polish family, so I really miss the cultural food from home. Also, I miss eating plain old bread with butter; it’s a simple part of home that I took for granted.
What I don’t miss about pre-college life:
My high school schedule – I don’t know how everyone else feels about this, but I LOVE having a block schedule now that I am in college. Sure, classes are longer, but we only meet three times a week at most. Now that I’m looking back at high school, it really sucked having to go to two AP classes in a row five days a week. And my high school started classes at 7:20 in the morning, at a time when my brain does not function properly. I absolutely love the days when I have my first class at 10:25 AM.
My high school classes – I do not miss AP Physics, my sucky required physical education class, and that random leadership class my school counselor threw me in one semester without even asking me. Sure, we have to take physical education here too, but at least we can choose from options like badminton or even stage combat! I really love being able to choose my college classes instead of having a bunch of random courses shoved into my schedule like what happened in high school.
Feeling less confident about myself – I was a really shy and quiet person in high school, but ever since I became independent, I have started to learn to come out of my shell more. I’ve met so many friends and professors here who have inspired me to speak more and to feel more comfortable with taking risks.
While I still miss a lot about home, I have found many benefits of college that encourage me to keep going.