Scared about staying in touch with people from home as you start your freshman year? Don’t worry, we have some advice to guide you through!

You’re sitting in your dorm, finally unpacked. You have texts from four different friends telling you to send the setup, and that they want to FaceTime soon! Outside, you have people walking around dorms, getting to know the other people on their floor. What do you do?

Staying in touch with people from home can be one of the most difficult things about college. You have to strike the balance between not ignoring the people you love from home, but being present enough at school to find people you love there. This article is divided into three parts – the best ways (in our bwumble opinion) to stay in touch with family, friends, and partners. The biggest thing to remember is not to put too much pressure on yourself!! You are starting a new experience, and the people around you recognize that. You might slip up every once in a while, but these tips should make it easier for you to keep in contact with those you love. 

Family

This one is definitely hard. Going from seeing your family every single day to really only interacting when you call is a stark change. You might jump at the chance to call your mom every second something gets confusing (such as doing laundry in college which is, let me tell you, not easy). While it is annoying, and probably a little scary, do your best to try to figure things out yourself first! Part of the fun of college is being independent for the first time, but with that comes the perils of actually having to be independent. Embrace them, and do your best to figure things out! If you can’t, then your parents are only one phone call away. 

The best piece of advice I received for staying in touch with family in college was to set a schedule. I personally called my mom every morning while I was at the gym, right before she started working. That was the time that worked for us, so even if we only talked for 5 minutes, we got to do a quick catch up. Things like that create a reliability that you can schedule other things around, which means you’re less likely to miss those conversations. Take a little bit to find a consistent time that works for whichever members you’re talking to, and you’ll never miss a call!

Friends 

One of the most important things to remember is that everyone starting college is going to be super busy. So it’s really possible that people you expected to update on every aspect of your life when you get to college suddenly go mute. Don’t blame them or yourself – it is almost 100% a symptom of the genuine disorganization that comes with starting college. While you’ll keep in touch with your closest people, don’t put too much pressure on constant facetimes, texts, and updates. The trap that many people fall into is one that almost resembles a long-distance romantic relationship (which we’ll get to). You don’t want to miss out on going to club meetings, social events, or generally being available at school because you’re constantly missing your friends from home. 

It’s definitely true that making friends in college requires some work. Especially if you have long-term close friends at home, it can feel weird to have to reintroduce yourself to everyone around you, and there is comfort in friends who already know everything about you. While it is wonderful to have those friendships, and they should be maintained, they’re going to take on a different form while you’re at school. You may replace constant texts with a facetime once a week, or have your friends visit you at school, which is one of the most fun ways to continue to build and maintain friendships from home. 

TL;DR, don’t forget about all of your friends, but be prepared to have your friendships take a slightly different form – that’s the only way you’ll be able to find the people who will make your freshman year what it should be!

Romantic Relationships

Long-distance relationships are not exactly easy to maintain in college, but there are some tricks that help. Similar to setting a schedule with your family, try to find a time that consistently works for both of you to call and talk. Planning ahead will allow you to still make time for friends and people in college, while giving each other the communication and support you need. 

Additionally, have a conversation about boundaries before you both head off to college. Being apart makes it a lot harder to have updates and conversations, which can lead to feeling neglected. If there is something you or your partner are not comfortable with, or absolutely need, make that clear before you both head off. 

I have seen plenty of long distance relationships work well into people’s college experiences!! Try to strike a balance of communication and letting each other have the space to grow and experience things at your own schools. 

Image via Wikimedia Commons