Filled with self-doubt and fear, I felt certain that I had picked the wrong school. In the weeks before college, I became scared to leave my parents, scared to lose my safety net, and scared to break out of the bubble that I lived in. As it was time to say goodbye to my mom, I felt devastated, frightened, and overwhelmed. I attempted to pull my best poker face, but I am positive that my mom knew how scared I truly was. Four months, two rounds of midterms, and countless memories later, I now realize that Maryland is my home. Although I still don’t have a great answer as to why I came here or if it truly is the right school for me, I am exceptionally happy with my decision. Just like any other college student, I have periods where I feel homesick and beg to come home, I suffer through weekends where all I want is to see my parents, and of course I face cravings for In N Out. When these times come around, I realize that I always have my parents and friends to fall back on. At first, I petrified to leave home, my support system, and my acclimation to 70-degree weather; I have come to the realization that coming to Maryland has been a huge step in my personal maturity and independence. I now understand that going to school far away has shown me that my friends are always there to support me, that my parents are just a phone call away, and that when it’s 40 degrees outside a down coat will always keep me
Filled with self-doubt and fear, I felt certain that I had picked the wrong school. In the weeks before college, I became scared to leave my parents, scared to lose my safety net, and scared to break out of the bubble that I lived in. As it was time to say goodbye to my mom, I felt devastated, frightened, and overwhelmed. I attempted to pull my best poker face, but I am positive that my mom knew how scared I truly was. Four months, two rounds of midterms, and countless memories later, I now realize that Maryland is my home. Although I still don’t have a great answer as to why I came here or if it truly is the right school for me, I am exceptionally happy with my decision. Just like any other college student, I have periods where I feel homesick and beg to come home, I suffer through weekends where all I want is to see my parents, and of course I face cravings for In N Out. When these times come around, I realize that I always have my parents and friends to fall back on. At first, I petrified to leave home, my support system, and my acclimation to 70-degree weather; I have come to the realization that coming to Maryland has been a huge step in my personal maturity and independence. I now understand that going to school far away has shown me that my friends are always there to support me, that my parents are just a phone call away, and that when it’s 40 degrees outside a down coat will always keep me