College: The Right Fit--A Home Away From Home
While there’s still a month of summer left, a lot of us are probably thinking about going back to school in the fall. I know some people can’t wait to go back. They obviously picked the right college for them or the right fit.
Picking a college is tough enough. Do they have your major? How far from home is it? Do you want to go far away or out of state? Do they offer a study abroad program? How much is tuition? While those things are important, what is just as important is finding a college where you feel at home. Somewhere you feel safe.
For starters you can make your dorm feel “homey.” You can make it an exact copy of your room at home. You can put your favorite posters on the walls and bring your favorite blanket. Anything really to assure you feel at home. After all, college is literally your home away from home.
While most colleges don’t allow pets, you can print out pictures of your cat or dog and tape them up on your wall, on your binder, or pin them to a bulletin board. And don’t forget you can always Facetime, Skype or Oovoo them! Don’t forget that you can always go home on the weekends and visit. Or almost all colleges have a parents’ weekend so you can see your beloved mom and dad.
And summer will come faster than you expect it. So until then, in order to make your dorm feel like home away from home, put up some posters, buy the same comforter you have at home, and video chat your family like crazy. You’ll miss them but when you see them again you can tell them all about your crazy college experiences. You will not be able to wait to go back.