Leaving home can be one of the best methods of inducing personal growth. I'm sure you all can agree with me on this one, since you all have obviously recently left home to come to Penn State.
No longer living under Mom and Dad's roof, you have to establish your own rules, take responsibility for your own actions, learn to prioritize, keep your room clean (or not), etc. The list is endless. If you didn't already feel like enough of an adult during your senior year of high school, these new liberties finally leave you as the ultimate boss of your own life. Sure, your parents still have a significant influence on the things you do, but at the end of the day, it is you who is calling all the shots.
I experienced this almost three years ago, when I left home for Romania, so coming to college wasn't too harsh of a transition for me. This is why I decided to talk to my roommate, Sam, about her move from Mamaroneck, NY, to University Park, PA-- her first time truly away from home.
Me: How difficult was it at first to leave home for a college in another state?
Sam: I mean, it was, but it wasn't. It was because it's really different here than it was at home, but but it was definitely easy knowing that I'd be getting a change of scenery and a chance to start over.
Me: You obviously know what you need to get done, and by when you need to finish it, but did you have any problems prioritizing or fulfilling any of your responsibilities at the beginning of the year? How is your independence here different from that which you had at home?
Sam: Haha, yes I did, but mostly because I wasn't used to not having a set routine like I had in high school. I had to manage it myself, which I wasn't bad at, but I wasn't good at it either. When I'm here, I'm able to eat, sleep, or go out whenever I want, so finding a balance was definitely a top priority.
Me: How, if at all, has all of this changed you as a person?
Sam: I think, at most, I've learned to take better care of myself. I learned what I need to do, and what I shouldn't do, and I guess that I can do more on my own than I realized.
So today, I challenge to all to take a few minutes and reflect on how you have changed since you've come here, and what has shaped those changes.
I think the layout of your blog is very unique. I like the Q & A style, especially since it enhances your topic for this week. College has definitely changed all of us. We have to be more independent, hardworking, and efficient. It is more about the experience as a whole rather than just the classroom learning that goes on. Personally, I can't even remember what life was like a year ago. How were we able to live with our parents everyday? How were we able to sit through seven or eight hours of classes right in a row? Our lives are so incredibly different, and I for one couldn't be happier with the change.
RăspundețiȘtergereI literally live like 30 min away from Mamaroneck! But I can completely agree, not just with the whole transition from home to school but PA to New York. I never realized it up until I left, but there really no place like New York, no offense.
RăspundețiȘtergereI agree with Allie in that I like the Q&A style of your blog! I agree that college is a time that many kids our age do the majority of their growing up. In high school my mom was very lenient with me and I took on a lot of the responsibilities of caring for myself. However, coming to college was still a big transition. It's great that you had the prior experience so that it wasn't as hard to transition for you! I'm looking forward to your next post!
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