It is that time of the year where many high school seniors around the country are preparing for their move to college. This can be a very stressful time because for many students, it will be the first time they are away from home and their loved ones for such a prolonged period of time.
One significant part of college life is living in a dorm. In many schools, living in a dorm is mandatory for the first year. It helps build connections with others on campus and learn to work together academically and understand the perspective of living away from home and potentially with a stranger. For many, the experience of college can be familiar, specificaly for those with older siblings or family members that know the ins and outs of the college living experience. This is exactly the case for Aditi Iyer, an FHS senior attending Georgia Tech next year.
“My brother goes to college right now so I think I have a pretty good idea of the things I’m gonna bring since I’ve gone through the process before,” Iyer said.
The at-home feel is one that many future college students strive for. This is usually to lessen the anxiety and difficulty that can come from an unfamiliar space. Making their dorm feel like home can give students an escape from the busy and demanding college life.
For some this will mean keeping it clean and tidy, for others it will be a certain smell or texture as well as bringing certain items from home. This can be something sentimental or useful and familiar, like a certain blanket or a poster/picture, for example. Having this familiar piece in a new space is something important to FHS senior Sidharth Shreedhar.
“I really want to bring my PC because I can use it to play games or relax after a long day,” Sreedhar said. “I know it’ll really help my personal wellbeing being far from home.”
No matter the miles from home or the familiarity of the environment, the college living experience can be very hard to navigate for everyone and most will struggle with the many changes college usually brings. Mental health resources and connections with others living the same experience can be very helpful.
For many, reaching out for help may be extremely rewarding and important in their success as a new college student.
