Going to college away from home

By Diego Loredo

College isn’t easy, trust me I know. I’ve been in college for two years and will be heading into my junior year this fall. I know the struggles of going to college. However, lately I’ve been hearing about a lot of my friends going back to Waco after spending a semester or two at a university out of town.

They either transfer to MCC or just stop going to college. Now there’s nothing wrong with going to MCC, my sister is going there this fall, but it surprises me that some of my friends decided to leave their university. I know they are all smart people and are perfectly capable of attending a university. When I asked them why, most of them said they just couldn’t handle going to a university away from home. I fully understand this and wrote this blog hoping to help them or anyone else who is struggling to adapt to a college away from home.

From personal experiences, I have gone through my fair share of struggles at UNT. I’ve bombed exams, met people I didn’t get along with, and I even failed a class last semester. I know there are many different reasons for college being tough such as, difficult classes, financial issues, homesickness, etc. But to me college is basically just learning through trial and error, and here are a few things I’ve learned that may help someone who is struggling in college.

Make a group of close friends

It always helps to have some friends you can rely on and this will make going to a college away from home much easier. I already had a few friends going to UNT, plus my roommate was a good high school friend of mine, but I thought I would still struggle to make new friends in college. However, I made friends almost instantly during my first week there and it turned into having my own little group of close friends. We always hang out and I know that I can rely on them to help me out with anything. Every college student needs a group like this and if you can find a few close friends then that’ll make the transition into college a lot smoother.

Don’t go home that often

I know this may be tempting but it’s best to not go home that often if you go to a college out of town. Unless, you have a specific reason that requires you to go home I think you should stay in the city that your college is in. Now this doesn’t mean don’t go home at all, I’m just saying don’t go home every weekend. If you do this, then you’ll never get used to being away from home. I know a few people who go home every weekend and I try to convince them to stay in Denton but they never do. There are so many things to experience in whatever city you’re in. You’ll be missing out on the full college experience if you’re back at home every weekend.

Find a tutor

For those who are struggling in classes, find a tutor! I know there’s some kind of learning center at your college. You’re paying for it so might as well use it right? Finding a tutor will not only help you in class, but it might even help you enjoy the class more. We all have those classes that we absolutely hated, for me it was Elementary Probability and Statistics, but having a tutor will help you get through it and not stress too much.

I’ll admit it, college isn’t for everyone. Some will enjoy it more than others and it can be absolutely nerve-wracking at times. But, you never know until you try. Going to a college away from home has been such a great experience so far and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to go to college. I know it’s harder than staying at home but I promise it’s worth it.


diego loredo - 2Diego Loredo is a sophomore at the University of North Texas. He is majoring in public relations. He graduated from University High School in 2014. Although he is still not quite sure what exactly he wants to do, he thinks he wants to work somewhere in sports PR (preferably soccer or college football). His hobbies include playing soccer and golf. He is 19 years old.

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these Aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.

 

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