Congratulations! You’re a brand new student at Umass Boston—full of excitement, nerves, worry, and more nerves. But there’s no need to fear, because college life is exactly like high school life. Well, it’s exactly like high school life other than the fact that your parents are gone, you have full responsibility of your life, and pretty soon you’ll have to feed yourself. But don’t worry! All the home comforts and constants that leave your day-to-day life when you attend college have a replacement at UMass Boston. For example, perhaps you’re worried about leaving your siblings behind. After all, you grew up beside them every day of your young life—so what on Earth will life be without them? No need to fret, meet your new college version of a sibling—your roommate! The similarities between your siblings and your roommates will shock you and make you feel right at home: your roommate and you will fight, leave dirty clothes on each other’s belongings, go to bed at vastly different times, annoy each other to no end, but ultimately—seeing your roommate at the end of a long day will make you feel at home. That is, until they come back to the room at four in the morning and turn on the light.

Maybe you’re worried about missing your own room when you’re in college. Well, you probably should, because as soon as you’re gone, your parents will strip it down bare and turn it into their new study/sewing room/indoor gym/pantry hybrid. Try not to think about that. Instead, I urge you to consider the beauty that is the college dorm. You might even get your own private bathroom! Which will ultimately turn into a nightmare when you realize you have to clean it yourself and that surprisingly, you have to pay for toilet paper. I know. I thought it grew in the bathroom closet too. Besides the toilet, your room will bring a whole new world of possibilities. For instance, where are you going to hang your one singular wall decoration? 

College will soon seem like home, I promise. Just remember not to call a cook at the food court “Mom” on accident when she gives you your dinner. Don’t worry, you’ll do great.