How To Live Away From Home

College holds surprises of many types for new students. It is also most often the students first attempt at living away from home and that poses it's own set of problems.

At home, a student is put at ease by familiar surroundings plus the added support of family and friends to aid in the process of adjustment to new and unfamiliar situations.

The first time a student lives away from home there is no familiar sources of support to fall back on to make adjustment to an new environment any easier. The following tips may help to make the stressful new adjustment period a little less stressful.

Keep in mind that you are not the lone freshman on campus. It may seem as if everyone around you is confident and self-assured. The fact is, however, that every freshman feels the same feelings of displacement and loneliness that you are. It is important to express yourself and attempt to meet other students. Bonding with peers makes it easier to find you place on campus. But don't expect instant best friends. Think of your friends in high school, it took years to develop those friendships. The same will apply in college.

Don't be frightened by the increase in personal freedom. It will seem wonderful at first but may become frightening and a bit overwhelming. Feelings of loneliness and unpredictability are normal and in time will become less chaotic. Increased responsibility is scary for anyone, especially for a new adult.

New students usually have a roommate. Its not easy to room with a complete stranger and even friends often have trouble living together. Agreeing on the limits of personal privacy, sleep and even religious practices can be a complex and intricate procedure.

Get and stay organized. College life is unpredictable at best and every chance you get to make a part of it a little more stable will make your life that much easier.

Make sure that you know the basics of living alone. Balancing a checkbook, managing a monthly budget and knowing how to do laundry are all important skills to manage.

Managing them well helps to facilitate a smoother entrance into independence.

Keep the lines of communication open. Just because you don't see your family everyday doesn't mean that you cant call or email them. Their support is still available, just from a longer distance.

College is frightening for all new students. But it does get better and more rewarding.

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