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5 Things I’ve Learned from Being in College Away From Family

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Riverside chapter.

Hyperlinks: https://www.stopbullying.gov/

https://www.collegedata.com/resources/campus-life/what-is-college-like

Many students around the world travel to study for their future. It takes guts and courage to move away from family, which can also be very hard for young students to do. Here are some tips I learned from being in college and being away from home since I am also one of those students who had to take courage to study for a better future, even if it means being many miles away from family.  

1. Keep yourself occupied. Moving away from home will always be hard at first. Maybe it will still be hard throughout the journey. I kept myself distracted by learning how to bake or cook, do skin care, talk with family on the phone or video chat. Finally, try to take care of yourself mentally by writing a journal, watching a good series, or reading a good book. 

2. Always be prepared. I don’t only mean for class, I also mean preparing yourself mentally. There can be unexpected good or bad moments that would happen for you. For example, you can make friendships in college but never know if they will last long. If you have a feeling those friendships won’t do you any good or are not healthy, you should stay away because it is better to be alone than with bad company. If you do make friendships with people who are reaching for the same goals as you and you think they could turn out to be better friendships, stay. 

3. Learn how to take care of your beautiful heart. There could be envious people who would want to destroy who you are by bullying or by bothering you in any way. You have to learn how to face it. Your parents won’t defend you forever. Since you are becoming independent, you are likely to face any type of people who you may or may not associate with. 

4. Have hope. You are studying and working hard for your dream future. Be excited and focus on getting our work done well before you go out or plan anything else. Your purpose to attend college is to focus, study, and be happy that you are living your dream or someone else’s of attending a good college. I don’t mean to say you can’t have fun, but there will be many opportunities to go out to parties or night clubs.

5. Be yourself. Don’t ever think you have to be someone else or act in some other sort of way to fit in. There will always be good and kind people who want to get to know your interests and personality. For those people who can’t you accept for who you are, ignore them. They could either be envious or you may just be better off without them. If your family accepts you for who you are, so can others.

Sofia Cuevas

UC Riverside '23

I am a fourth year and an English major. I love to read and write and I'm obsessed with iced coffee.