"Ya'll Ready for This? Heading Home for the Holidays"

Congratulations! You did it! You have completed (well, almost) your first semester as a college student. Before you know it your final exams will be over and you'll be on your way home for a much-needed break. While your time at home should prove to be relaxing and enjoyable, don't be surprised if it somewhat challenging as well.

It may surprise you to learn that many college freshman return home for the semester break and face challenges that they had not anticipated. Whether you realize or not, you have changed. You are not the exact same person that mom and dad left behind just a few short months ago. The college experience has more than likely changed you in a number of ways. Here are just a few examples of some of the changes college freshmen experience...

• You may be more independent and freethinking. For years and years you received a great deal of guidance and direction from your parents. Now that you've been away at college you've had to make decisions on your own and become more independent. You've learned to interact with a more diverse group of people. Mom and dad may be expecting to be needed as much as they were before you went to college. It may be difficult for them to understand that you've become a more independent person with views and opinions that don't necessarily coincide with theirs. This newfound independence may be present challenges for you and your parents.
  
  
• You may not look exactly the same. With your newfound independence you've had the chance to make many choices on your own. The way you choose to look is just one of those many choices. You may have experimented with the style or color of your hair. The way you dress may have changed. Some of you may even be returning home with parts of your body pierced that weren't before or a tattoo. Has your appearance changed at all? Even though you feel like the same person, you might look pretty different. Be prepared for your family's reaction to your physical changes.
  
  
• You're more accustomed to coming and going as you please. You've been on your own for a few months. Unlike at home when you accounted for your whereabouts on a regular basis, you've experienced a great deal of freedom. You've learned to manage your own time. No longer asking for permission, you decide what you want to do and when, where you want to go and for how long. While you've probably adjusted pretty well to this newfound freedom, your mom and dad may have a more difficult time adjusting. Since you'll be back at home, you will once again be asked to follow your parents' rules. This might prove to be challenging, as you are no longer used to accounting for all of your actions. You may want to have a discussion with your parents when you return home to re-negotiate expectations for living and house rules.

Can you relate to any of these changes? Chances are that the changes you've experienced this semester will require some adjustment on the part of your parents and family. Be patient. It took you a few months to make these changes. Don't expect your family to adjust to them in just a day or two. Give your parents time to realize that you are becoming an adult. And, don't forget, your parents were once your age and experienced similar changes. Give them credit for their life experiences. While you do have one semester of college under your belt, you may not know "all there is to know" about life. Have a great break! Enjoy your time at home. Don't wish this time with your family away. Before you know it you'll be back at school, missing your family again!