Countless people have told me that college was the time to discover more of who I am and encouraged me to “get away from home” for college. I’m sure the story is not much different for you if you’re looking at this blog unless you’re a local, but even then I doubt the vast majority of you grew up in the Foggy Bottom area specifically. Although this may be a cliché statement, it is true. For some of us learning to wash clothes for the first time, make your own food, manage a bank account, and having the freedom to attend or skip classes. The freedom of college is liberating and helps in our growing up process, yet this experience is often intimidating and at times you can feel alone/ separated from your former life, especially if you are from far away. For me, a 24-hour drive or $400 flight separates me from home.
With this being said, I am writing to tell you that you WILL miss your friends, family, town and pets (especially), NO EXCEPTION. You may doubt this now, but you will be shocked when midterms roll around your first semester of college and you are completely overwhelmed. You might even begin to question whether you want to stay at GW or whatever other school you are at far away from home, but I would encourage you to stick it out as this is a common experience all college kids go through.
So, my advice:
1. Schedule for your parents to come visit you for Parent’s Weekend in the fall whenever the date is announced. While you may not want them to cramp your style now, when the time comes around you will feel bad if you see everyone else’s friends and family there and not yours.
2. Find a mentor to keep you true to yourself and your passions. A voice or voices of reason are always reassuring and you will need them for those tough days
You will survive freshman year with your network of support and be happy with who you will become at/after GW, but is something hard to grasp until you have completed the experience.
Please feel free to ask any questions and I hope I can be of some help to you.
-Brandon Moore
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