Leaving Home

Wow, not really much to say for me as I have not actually left home yet. I live in York, so I commute to class everyday which is a struggle in itself with traffic. I would love to live on campus but my mom suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder and all care responsibilities have been transferred to me as my sister got sick of doing it herself. But honestly I guess I can say I have left home cause everyday when I come home she acts like one of her personalities so I guess I come home to something new everyday. Which is not a good thing cause she has threatened to kick me out on a few occasions but then the next day she cries for me to come back so yes it gets old after a while. So on top of doing my regular school days and homework; I also have to cook, clean, do laundry, and help my with her homework as well. I still can not figure out how she can still go to school but she actually makes good grades. I swear sometimes its like trying to keep up with my two-year old godson. So, sorry this is under the specified word limit but again not much to say about me leaving home since I actually have not left home yet.

Leaving Home...

About two weeks before I was set to leave home, life was quite hectic. Most of my family is big on procrastination, so one could only imagine the chaos flitting about. Laundry had to be done, supplies had to be bought, and my good byes to my friends had to be said. I feel as if summer did not last long enough. On Friday morning, I had my car packed and with my dad in tow to help me move things, we made the three hour drive from Charleston to Rock Hill. Upon arrival, I was exhausted after moving everything in and walking to the Book Worm for my books. I wanted nothing more to do that crash in my new bed and sleep for hours. That was not an option, since there were meetings to be attended to. I must say, after these meetings, I was out like a light.

My first week at Winthrop has been a daze. It became busy so quickly and then I’d have a relaxing day to just spend getting used to the campus. As soon as classes started, I had to figure out how to get from one end of the campus to the other in just ten minutes for another class. I admit, I still do not know if this is possible, since I have been let out early in almost every class. I guess that is something to follow up on.

I call my mom every night, making sure she is holding up on her own with my brother in tow. However, being away from home is just what I need. It is a breath of fresh air, so to speak. I am now able to live my life, make my choices, and fulfill my own desires for once. I can only hope to survive the first month here at Winthrop University.

Leaving Home

Leaving home has evoked an array of emotions in me. In the days leading up to the move, I ricocheted from feeling ecstatic to terrified. When my parents antagonized me, I would think to myself only two weeks to go before I am out of here! Other times, I felt scared because I was going into a totally different environment that was full of unknowns. The week before I moved in, my being a Winthrop student was finally becoming reality. Before this, the whole college deal was just something I thought about in the near future. This realization scared me. For the first time, I would no longer be under my parents’ almost constant supervision. I would no longer have classes with people I have known for twelve years. I would be living in a city two hours away from my parents and everything familiar. The idea of all of this overwhelmed me. As move-in day came, I was a little nervous because I had no idea what to expect. The first couple of days I really doubted my decision to move here. I missed my own bed, my friends, my parents, and even my old daily routine. Now that I have been here for about a week, I’m finally starting to settle in to college life. I do have the feelings of being lost, not only directionally but also identity wise. Everyone says college is a place where you can start over, be anyone you want to be. I’m not finding the truth in that very much. I’m still the quiet, shy girl, and no matter how much I want to go out there and make instant friends, that’s just not who I am, yet. My first task here is to be the best student I can be, but also to become the person I wish to be, and I’m okay with that.

Leaving Home

Leaving home I have to say was not as bad as I thought it would be. I came up with my brother and that is probably why. So far it has been lots of fun but what has been my slump was the fact that i missed the first day of classes because of me misunderstanding my schedule. I have to say that has piled the stress on in mounds this first week and I am trying to fix it and catch back up. Now that I think back on my high school years and compare that with these few days I have to say that I am not sure if I was ready. But I am here and I am going to try my best and get through this hopefully. The thing that has me worried the most is the idea that no matter how hard I try I will not be able to make it in college. I just can not grasp the idea that maybe I can make it through college. This latest incident just helped strengthen that idea and I have been looking for a reason to say yeah I can make it in college. Well at that I hope that this is a good semester so I can say that I can make it in college.

Leaving Home

For about a week I have been living the college life, and it is really awesome! Most of senior year I absolutely could not wait to leave home; to get out on my own, meet new people, and have new experiences, I just could not wait. Saying goodbye to my friends was really hard, because they are like family, but I was so excited to come to Winthrop. My family knew how excited and how ready I am to be in college so there were not any tears or long, drawn out goodbyes, just see you later! I have been too excited, for too long to let anything get in the way of having the best college experience I could have. I fell head over heels in love with Winthrop and its going to be a degree from Winthrop or bust. I will admit cleaning and laundry are not always exactly how I want to spend my time, but it has to get done. I am really impressed, as are others, with how Winthrop does not just throw you head first into the college life and say "deal", time is allowed to adjust, somewhat, and figure out the lay of the land. One adjustment for me is having to walk all over a big campus is a huge difference, coming from a small private school. Also, it is not only the amount of people who go here, compared to my high school, but the amount of different people who go here is fascinating. I love all the different backgrounds and cultures and just the plain differences people have is really interesting. Leaving home is not a big deal to me personally because I feel like this is a home, the people are so friendly, and the whole Winthrop community is so warm and welcoming. Come on, we as the class of 2012 were welcomed at least six times! Who would not take comfort in that.

Leaving Home

I would have to say that leaving home has been really hard for me. I actually came up here for the Summer to attend Summer school here and I did the whole goodbye thing. Leaving this August has been harder than that though. People say it should have been easier but in the Summer I knew I would be going back home within a month whereas now I won'y get to go home for a while. Being on the women's basketball team here means sacrificing alot and I won't get to go home for Thanksgiving and there's a chance I won't get to go home in December for the holidays because it's actual season time basketball. I flew here from Minnesota alone so I didn't have the experience of my mom or anybody moving me in my dorm or saying goodbye to me at all. Though I know people here like the people on my team and the boys team, it's still hard because none of them are in any of my classes and I have to make the effort to meet new people. This first week went by fast and I learned a lot from the different people on campus. I guess leaving home for anybody is a hard transition and I just fell in that category. Though going to Summer school helped me alot because I knew where alot of buildings were and some of the other things on campus were, I still miss home where I could wake up any time of the day I pleased lol. All things set aside, this week has been fun and I do actually look forward to the rest of the semester.

leaving home...

Like most of you, I've been on my own for about a week now. I spent not just this summer but my whole senior year convinced that going away wasn't that big of a deal. I of course was wrong. Both of my parents moved me into my room last friday. I let my mom do all of my unpacking for me. She insisted on making my bed, putting my clothes away, and setting up all the stuff on my desk. How could I say no to her knowing that it was the last time for a long while that someone else would be doing everything for me? I was fine when she left. She started to get a little teary eyed, and I showed no sympathy. It may seem a little harsh but I just wanted her gone. Now, after five days I wish she would come back. I wouldn't say that I'm homesick though. I love this newfound freedom that I have. I think that what i miss about my mom is knowing she has always been there to take care of me when something has gone wrong. Now that I'm on my own, I do not know what is going to happen if I am in a situation where something might be too big for me to handle on my own. I dont know if I'm really ready for this new independence that I have. For now I can just do my best and hope that I don't mess up. So far my stay at Winthrop has been pretty exciting. I've met people that I know I will experience new things with and grow with in these next few years. My class schedule is spread out so that I have at least an hour between each class. I have time to meet my friends to go eat with or catch up on some last minute work I might need to do before my next class. My roommate and I are getting along well. We don't really hang out, but when we are together we don't have any problems. I have spent my entire life sharing a room and so has she. I doubt we will have a difficult time living with each other. Since I have only been here for a week there isn't much else to say. This has been an interesting first week, and I can't wait to see what else will come about in my next few years here.

ON LEAVING HOME

First of all, if you're reading this, you have some extra time on your hands, so good for you. This first week for me has been a little overwhelming, particularly in the amount of information being thrown at me. Fortunately, I have not had to deal with any sort of homesickness the way some of you have experienced; it isn't my first time. Leaving home for the third time now since high school, going off to college has not really affected me much in the way of tears and farewells. Sure, I am eventually going to start missing my family and want to see them, but hey, they live only twenty minutes away! So you see, unlike many of my classmates, my old home and my new are only a short car-ride apart. It will be interesting to see how long I can go without hopping a ride to Chester with a friend. With so many extra-curricular activities and interest groups here on campus, I don't think that will be much of an issue. I think there are plenty of distractions that will serve well to keep my mind away from a trip down I-77 to mom and dad.
If you are a student and are still reading this, I thank you for your interest and I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday. If my professor is reading this, I would like to know if I placed that semicolon correctly this time. Ha ha. See you tomorrow!

William Norton

On Leaving Home

I would have to say that in my opinion, leaving home is bitter sweet. At home you know what to expect, you have all your friends, stuff, personal space. But moving on is good, it helps expand your perspective on people and places. Coming to college was probably on of the hardest transitions that I have ever gone through. At home I was comfortable with everything so there was no reason to try new things. I had my friends, school, parents all of which I knew what was expected of me. I had rules, curfew, places I couldn't be and things I wasn't allowed to say. But here its exactly the opposite, there are no real rules as far as what I can or can't do, I can come and go as I please without having to check in. I can say what I want and do what I want. The biggest transition that I am going through though is that I have to be more open and talk to people. Eventhough I did that in high school, it was still within my "group", and I really only hung out with a couple people outside of school. But here that is totally different, I have meet so many people that are really cool but I never would have guessed that they would want to hang out with me. But in doing that I am learning to be more social and how to leave my comfort zone, which is not easy for me by any means.
All during the summer I thought wow I'm going to college this is going to be great, I will have my own life, and at the time couldn't wait to leave and get this new journey started. But as the weeks dwindled down and the final days passed I started to really think about it. Thats when all the doubts started, all the "what if's". I wasn't so sure any more that I really wanted to go to college, that was a huge change that I wasn't sure I was ready to accept. Then I got here and on the first day my friend came over and helped me move in and I realized that it might not be so bad. Then I started hearing things about the classes and what professors not to get, and once again that feeling of not wanting to be here came.
I have to say that eventhough I am having fun I still wake up in the mornings expecting to see my flags on my ceiling and my dog laying next to me. I don't know when it will really sink in that I'm staying. And I still have those thoughts of hey I need to call my parents to let them know where I'm going, then I realize that I don't have to do that anymore.There are still days when I just want to go sit in my room by myself, and I'm not sure why really.

Leaving Home

I was so excited at first to leave home. I already had my best friend here at Winthrop and I thought it was going to be awesome! I thought we would have so much fun and I didn't think I'd need anybody else. Well this was at the beginning of summer and as school soon approached, I felt like I didn't want to go and I just wanted to stay at home in Spartanburg. I was scared. I thought saying goodbye to my best friends was going to be hard, but I realized that it wasn't. I mean, I'm going to see them again, pretty soon and everything is going to be the exact same the next time I hang out with them. Only, we'll just have more new stuff to talk about. So, I said goodbye to my friends and packed up almost everything I own (yes I brought WAY too much stuff!). I came up here with my mom and step-dad and they helped me move in. The first two days were kind of boring. I was at orientation last Wednesday and Thursday and because I was bored I missed home a lot. I called my mom (who I am SO close with) and my best friend (the one who doesn't go here) a good bit because I was so lonely. But then Friday came and I had a lot of fun and I made friends! That made me miss home a lot less. I have gotten really close with two people here. They are my lifesavers. Yes, It was so hard to say goodbye to my mom that friday morning, but I have talked to her so many times since then. I tell her about everything that is going on. I have also talked to my sister, who just graduated from Winthrop and she lives off of Cherry Rd. just down the street. She has reassured me about things I was nervous about and she has already invited me for dinner at her apartment. I'm so glad I have her here in Rock Hill with me. It has made the transition away from home so much easier! I'm glad my sister is up here with me and my mom is always a phone call away. I am sooo close to those two. We got really close every since my dad took off and my parents got divorced when I was 3. My mom is my rock. It was hard to leave her, but I know she is always there to talk to, just an hour away. And she would come up here anytime I needed her to. And my sister could be here in 5 minutes if I needed her to be. That's very reassuring. I think knowing that has made it easier for me to make such an easy transition to college. That coupled with my new friends whom I've already become close with have made coming to Winthrop a good experience. And it made leaving home not quite so hard. :)
Alison

On Leaving Home

I'm not going to lie, I cried when my parents left. Well really it was because of my mom. My mom and I have always been close. It has been her and me since I was born, just like most people. But our situation is a little different than most. My parents divorced when I was 5. Before that my "father" was never home. He was always out. See he didn't want kids, but he had my sister, Morgan, and me. (I am also close to my sister, although she could not make it to move in day because high school had already started back.) Anyways, so when my parents went their seperate ways, it was the 3 girls for awhile. There wasn't much difference except the place we lived and my mom was working. Before, my mama didn't have to work so she was home with us all day long. It was pretty special.
So getting closer to the day I was to depart for school, I got obviously stressed and nervous. My mama also was. We are just alike so we expressed our feeling the same way, by arguing. It's not a good thing by no means. It made us want to get away from each other. We kept yelling awful statements like "I cannot wait to leave" or "I'll be glad when you're gone!"
So THAT day had finally come. We got Jessica, my roommate, and me all moved in and set up, and comfortable. Now would be a good time to tell you that my mom and I had also been arguing about the emotional feeling of crying. I said she was was going to cry and she said she was not. Well as she was hugging me and saying goodbye I starting crying first. All those feelings of always being together came rushing to me. I didn't even want to let her go. She had done so much for me and with me, how was I suppose to just let her walk out that door? When I started crying, she did as well. Ten minutes later and a lot of I love yous and call me whenever, she was gone. The weird thing was, I was fine. I was okay until the next night when it hit me again.
My mama as well as my sister both call me every day. At seperate times at that. I love hearing from them. My sister plays volleyball at my high school and she tells me about her junior classes and ALL the drama that we have left behind. Man I'm glad I can say that!!
I am also close to my little brother, Seth, who is in fifth grade now. I feel so old! It hurts me to know I'm not going to get to watch him grow up as closely as I want to. The first morning I was gone my mom woke up and could not find him. She searched every where. And yes, the last place she looked was of course where he was, my room. When she told me was the next time I cried like I have already told you. He called me later that day and talked to me about cartoons of all things. Knowing I do not like them. Haha. His was of still pestering me even though I'm not there. He asked me about college, he didn't understand that we hadn't started yet. He's so cute.
So I don't know yet when the next time I am going to get to see them. I do know that my mom, who wasn't even going to cry, misses me so much she is driving the hour and a half to come see me Friday. Haha. How ironic!

Leaving Home

I always thought I was grown and could make it on my own but boy was I wrong!!! It’s been about 11 years since leaving the bird’s nest and I must say it was wonderful at first then reality set in. I didn’t have mom to cook for me anymore, I didn’t have dad to give me money anymore I had to be a big girl now. I had my oldest son when I was a senior in high school so I had to grow up pretty fast. I never went off to college or had roommates that would turn into lifetime friendships all I had was my son and a crazy baby daddy. I started my independency when I was 18, in a housing authority apartment that I did not like. It was a two-bedroom apartment that had cement floors, which stayed cold in the winter and hot in the summer. I didn’t have a job when I moved out so my rent was $9 per month, which was lovely compared to the mortgage I have now. I received $240 dollars a month in food stamps and thought I was living the life. Finally reality set in and I realized I wanted more out of my life. I wanted to go to college, get a job, and make something out of myself. I started working full time and enrolled at York Technical College full time when my son was 6 months old. I lost all my food stamps and my rent went up to $240 per month because I got a job making $7 per hour. I thought that was messed up because I went from living a ghetto fabulous life to struggle because I got a job. I thought that government assistance would help the ones that were helping themselves but I was wrong. My opinion about government assistances changed at that point. It seemed to me that the system was made to hold you down, not to push you forward. I saw then that I needed to get out from under the system and attempt to make a good life for my son, and me oh and my baby daddy. So when I got my first raise on my job I went apartment hunting and went from paying $240 per month to $585 per month and felt a lot better with paying more because I didn’t have to report my income to anybody anymore. Well to make a long story short I ended up letting my baby’s daddy go, moved back home twice between the ages of 19 to 22 which by that time I was use to having my own space so it didn’t last long, at the age of 23 I was free as a bird living on my own with my son. I got out and I don’t plan on going back. I love my parents but we have a better relationship when we’re not under the same roof and now I have a husband and three kids so I know I won’t be going back.

Leaving home.

Leaving home was an experience I was looking forward to about a year ago. I just wanted to experience what it was like to be independent and have all the responsibilities of an adult. When it finally came time to leave I couldn’t have been more excited. I know it sounds bad but I wanted to leave all my high school friends and meet new people, new people that would actually have an effect on me. College to me is a new life, a chance to start all over again. You can erase your past in high school if it was good or bad and start fresh. Now that I am actually here my views have changed some. I would have never guessed that I would miss anyone back home but I actually do, probably not as much as others though. I would like to see some old friends but I have already met a lot of new people which helps with the loneliness. The first day I arrived I got out of my parents car and realized this was it. I am finally on my own and starting one of the biggest chapters of my life. Now I just wait to see what it brings.

Once I graduated from high school I wasn't excited about leaving home because I knew it was going to be a tough experience for me. The time came by so fast for me to leave. On Friday, August 22 at 7:30 am I left Andrews, SC to start a new life at Winthrop University. It was hard for me because Im the only child and being on my own and holding my own responsibilities was going to be tough for me. I was so nervous about meeting new people, balancing my schoolwork, and pertaining the title as an ADULT!! While traveling to Rock Hill I began to think about all of my friends that I left behind. I know they would be going through the same obstacles as I was at that time. I thought about the times that we shared back in high school. Knowing that I would miss my parents and friends, I could use those feelings to push myself to do well academically so I won't be feeling this way for nothing. I MUST MAKE MY PARENTS PROUD!!

Leaving Home

The leaving home does not apply to me as much in the present tense as it may many of you. I think I'm the elder of the class so this subject is a little tough. However, I left home ten years ago and my journey called "life" began. When I left home, I began a full time job and was a full time student. Not only that, I was a full time single mother. My independence allowed me to overcome any fears I had. I felt like I had a lot to prove so I was on a mission. This drove me to achieve many goals I had set so I would not be another statistic in society. Naturally, I had fears but my eagerness to see what the "other side" was like kept me pushing strong. I didn't have the ability to move away from home to a dorm. However, when I moved away, I incurred a monthly debt called rent. Knowing my child's welfare was at stake and I would be held accountable for all my actions kept me in perspective at all times. Sure, I was like any other person out there going to college and/or working but I felt I was different. I definitely wanted to give my child more than I was ever given. So, I had a choice. I needed to either grow up and become a stronger, independent woman OR become a co-dependent statistical society member that lived off the government and never achieve any of my goals. Of course, I chose the first one. Now with that said, I did all I wanted for 3 years and just got burned out. Here I am, ten years later (really 7) trying it all again. Leaving home now means I leave behind a family that includes a spouse, my 13 year old son and 11 month old daughter. I don't leave behind my parents or siblings. Instead, I am starting a new mission. I will complete my mission this time. Wish me luck.

Welcome to our class blog!

Hey guys and girls.

Welcome to the blog. As our semester progresses, we will add to this space with YOUR thoughts, ideas, and progressively better writing. This is your blog, not mine, so use it. I'll give you prompts here, but feel free to add to it whenever you like.

See?

Writing can be fun, if you let it.

Now, for the first prompt, give me 200 words or so about how you feel about leaving home. Has it been hard? Has it been fun? Why? If you need to vent, you can do it here. I'm not checking for perfect grammar here, although by the end of the course, I hope that you'll want to use your polished grammar skills.

Okay.

See you Thursday night.