Photo courtesy of Paige Maffett
Throughout my first few months at college I have gotten to know my friends and myself on a whole new level. As many people are on their own for the first time with new unfamiliar faces and lots to learn, we have to be a support system for each other as we figure out UK together. Whether you made friends with those in your residence hall, your classes or people you knew before college; the responsibilities are the same. I believe it is our job as friends to watch out for each other and support each other like a family would. Jumping into college comes with it’s own struggles and nothing helps more than a supportive friend to make it easier.
Being a social work and communications major, I took particular interest in the family dynamics in my friends’ lives. They all differ from one another with their unique backgrounds and familial relationships. What interested me the most, however, was how each one of them handled the transition from high school to college. As I got to know each girl more and more, I found that we all had different tendencies when it came to interacting with our families.
Interviewees: Jessie, Sam, Abbie, Paige
Q&A:
Q: How often do you contact your family?
A: Jessie: “I talk to my family almost daily whether it be through texting, talking over the phone, or facetime.”
A: Sam: “I talk to my parents at least once a day, if not two times. I text them every once in awhile.”
A: Abbie: “I call my mom and dad a few times a week. I usually text them every few days just to check in.”
Q: What is the biggest struggle of living on your own?
A: Jessie: “The biggest struggle of living on my own would have to be the loneliness I feel at times. My family has always been my biggest support system for me and it is hard not having them physically there for me when I need them. Of course I have made a lot of friends here that I can talk to but nothing compares to my parents or little brother.”
A: Sam: “My biggest struggle living on my would have to be being away from my family, they are people and being away from them has been the hardest adjustment and I still not fully adjusted.”
A: Abbie: “The biggest struggle living on my own would have to be doing things for myself and having to learn on my own. I have always had my parents to help me with things or I would go to them for help, but now I have to do everything on my own.”
Q: Overall, how easy was it to become independent?
A: Jessie: “It was surprisingly easy for me to become independent here at UK. I thought living on my own 10 hours away from my family would be a hard adjustment but so far the transition has gone very smoothly.”
A: Sam: “I have always been a pretty independent person, I am very self sufficient so I have not had any trouble being independent.”
A: Abbie: “It was not hard because I live an hour and a half away from home so if I every really need something I can go home whenever I want. But it was also easy because I like the fact that I can finally be an adult and be on my own. I was so sheltered at home, so going away and being independent was exciting for me.”
Q: Is there anything you wish you would have known either about leaving home or living on your own?
A: Jessie: “College has really lived up to my expectations and I spent all summer preparing for the big transition – so no, I do not have anything that I wish I would have known.”
A: Sam: “I wish i would have known how to manage my money better as well.”
A: Abbie: “I would have known how to manage money better because being at midterm, I have already gone through most of the money that I brought with me and I have no job.”
Whether getting to the point of of feeling independent occurred right as we walked across the stage or after a couple of years of adjusting, we are all in different spots. I learned even more about my friends after interviewing them and found that only a few of our answers varied. I think It is important to know where other people come from and how their lives have been, especially those who I spend most my time with. Maybe I just love a good story or maybe it has explained how my friends’ past has made them who they are today.
Thumbnail Photo By Sasha Freemind