Having a hard time adjusting to college? Try making your bed every morning.

Getting used to dorm living can be  nerve-racking, exciting, and overwhelming. Adapting to our parents’ absence isn’t easy. Leaving home can cause stress and homesickness. 

Fear of the unknown entering college without your parents to guide you can make you feel ridiculously lost. As a freshman, adjusting to a busy college schedule left me in shock for the first three weeks. 

College is the time to be independent. It forces you to take care of yourself. 

Here’s a tip: Making my bed every morning actually helps me step into independence. Once you begin your day with a responsible task, the rest of the day falls into place.

Senior Diana Perez said, “Adjusting in college is not easy, but it is possible. Before attending university, I relied a lot on parents to do things for me, whether it involved cooking, doing laundry, or making decisions for me. Once I started dorming, I realized how much I have to accomplish on my own without their help.” 

College can make you more outspoken. College can also give you the opportunity to study abroad. I studied in South Korea, which made me travel on my own and embrace a whole different culture. 

Living independently was something I never would have thought to look forward to. 

It’s different for all of us, and you need to find what is best for you. One thing that could help is an agenda. Write down your due dates for homework, the time that works best for you to do laundry, and the time that works best to clean. Adjust your sleep schedule to work with your class schedule. 

If you are still having a hard time becoming independent in college, or just adjusting, there are people you can talk to, such as your resident assistant. 

Celentano resident assistant Kyle Smith said, “It’s rewarding when you build connections with new people and being able to work alongside with an amazing staff.”

Living on campus can be an amazing experience. It forces you to be independent, and allows you to set realistic goals for yourself.