When I moved away to college, I thought I would never live back at home again. Sure, for a few months in the summer I might come back, and of course some holiday visits, but overall I imagined that my life would pretty much exist thousands of miles away from my family. Of course, with a pandemic changing everyone’s plans and predictions, I’ve found myself living at home again for an undisclosed amount of time. While this was definitely an unexpected situation that many students are now in, it has allowed me to reflect a bit on what I’ve learned in my first year of college, living over 2,000 miles away from my hometown.
Firstly, I’ve discovered how independent I actually can be. I’ve always thought of myself as a responsible, independent person, but living somewhere where parental help wasn’t even an option really exposed just how much I can really handle on my own. From buying my own groceries and cough medicine to finding my way around Boston by myself, my first months away from home made me recognize all the things I’d never had to think about when living with my parents. While it was definitely a struggle to get used to at first, the experience has given me a sense of confidence about myself and my abilities, knowing that I really can make it on my own.
Besides discovering my independence, moving away to college has really challenged my own academic perception of myself. In high school, I was very confident in my academic ability and potential, and never had much trouble getting good grades in my classes. However, within my first few weeks of attending Boston University, I realized that I was no longer the top of my class here. I had to basically re-learn how to study in order to just keep up with students who attended much more prestigious high schools than myself, and who seemed miles ahead of me in their education. Despite this being a huge shock, I’m so grateful that I put myself in this situation, as it has forced me to learn so much more than I may have learned if I stayed home for school.
Lastly, the big move to college has helped me discover so much about myself as a person. Though the immense freedom of college is terrifying, it also gives you an opportunity to explore your own passions and interests in a way that might not be possible in your hometown. Being surrounded by Boston’s vibrant culture, I’ve discovered new interests and ambitions of mine that I’d never really considered before. I know that I never would have experienced that by staying close to home.
Though my freshman year at BU has been cut short, I realize that I’ve still learned so much about myself in a short amount of time. Moving away from home has not only helped me discover my own potential, but also helped me appreciate everything that has allowed me to succeed from so far away.
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