Leaving home to attend college might excite some students, but others may quickly develop a sense of separation anxiety from their family.
Hanin Sammour, a junior exercise, sport and movement sciences major from Olive Branch, Mississippi, moved to Memphis her freshman year and said the transition was a bit bumpy. She said Olive Branch may not be far from Memphis, but she had never lived away from her family, which made moving difficult for her.
“I’m really family-oriented, so leaving them was so hard for me,” Sammour said. “I know they’re pretty close, but it was just weird waking up and not hearing them.”
Sammour said although she finds it difficult, living away from her family has taught her valuable lessons.
“I relied on my mom to do the cooking at home, but now I make my own food,” Sammour said. “I also work, learned how to be more confident and do things for myself.”
Sammour said she hopes new freshmen do not take for granted how living with parents is undemanding.
“Once you’re on your own, you are on your own,” Sammour said. “Living with your parents is relaxed, but when you move out, you have to do everything for yourself.”
The University of Memphis has more than 21,000 students enrolled, not all of whom are from Memphis.
According to College Factual, a college information website, 91.1 percent of undergraduate students at the U of M are from Tennessee. Even though most students are from the state, they may come from cities hours of driving away to go to their college of choice.
Some students who moved from their hometowns to the U of M were enthusiastic about leaving and starting anew in a different city.
Joseph Scott, a junior marketing major from Clarksville, Tennessee, moved to Memphis two years ago and said he was ready to begin a new chapter at the U of M.
“I was excited to move into a new phase of my life and be on my own for once,” Scott said.
Scott said he based his decision on proximity to his home and family, and he was grateful for the outcome.
“Ultimately, the reason I came to the University of Memphis was to be on my own for once,” Scott said. “I could have gone to APSU (Austin Peay State University), a college in my hometown, but I didn’t want to live at home.”
Scott said he did not get homesick, but he missed his family, friends and free food. He went home a few times and said it helped make living away easier. He said freshmen moving from other cities should keep in mind that eventually they have to move up in life, which could mean getting out of their parents’ houses.
“Everyone has to move on sometime in life,” Scott said. “College allows you to find people that don’t necessarily make you forget home but help you find another place to call home.”
Delaina Carreras, a senior communications major from Decaturville, Tennessee, said she moved to Memphis to grow more as a person.
“In Memphis, the sky’s the limit for growth,” Carreras said. “There are so many experiences that my hometown could never give me the way Memphis has.”
Although Carreras sometimes missed living at home, she said moving back would ultimately hold her back. Instead, she thinks leaving home offers her many opportunities she would not get if she stayed.
“Learn everything that your city has to offer and take on every opportunity given to you,” Carreras said. “Don’t go home, go out to explore your new city.”
Transfer student Ariel Devia is moving into her new dorms with the help of her mother. Devia moved into the LLC dorms.
