Living away from home is an essential part of growing up and developing into a somewhat functional adult. And independence is exciting. Now, we buy groceries, do chores and take care of ourselves according to our own rules. We are building lives for ourselves and embellishing them with new friends and college experiences that we stumble upon along the way.
Figuring out how our old lives fit into this mix can be challenging.
How do we make room for our moms and dads and siblings in the little world we build for ourselves during our time in college? When homework and extracurriculars pile up, it is easy to forget about replying to parents’ texts or making calls home.
Yet, it is more important than ever to stay connected with our families while away at school. Families can provide much-needed support when we feel like life is driving us insane, and they can also give us resources that we would not otherwise have access to.
Particularly during the first year of school, when students are still clumsily adjusting to living on their own, students may need to fall back on these family support systems. The transition is hard not only for the students but also, and perhaps even more so, for the anxious parents. Maintaining periodic communication just to check in can remind us that, despite our newfound independence, family will always just be one phone call away.
Maintaining strong ties to home is also good networking practice. We have to be able to foster relationships with family because they can connect us with even more people who can help us reach our goals. Keeping in touch with family can help us develop communication habits that can benefit career-related networking.
While being overly attached to our families can hold us back from having a full college experience, having healthy connections with them builds us up. It won’t hurt to call our parents once in a blue moon just to let them know that their kids are all right.
Editorials represent the majority view of The Miami Hurricane editorial board.Â