By Nicole Hansen

My transition into Florida State was an extremely difficult one. Tallahassee was a complete culture shock compared to Chicago, Illinois. It was really hard for me to be away from my family and have to watch other people go home for the weekend when they were homesick knowing I never could.

The life of an out-of-state student is underrated. It takes a lot of independence and a lot of strength. I have been pushed to my limits in the best way and learned that I am more capable than I ever thought I was. When things got especially hard, I leaned on my friends who became my family.

I also utilized the wide variety of campus resources available to me. My freshman year I was granted a college life coach. They were so nice to talk to about my transition and they helped me decompress when life got overwhelming. Sometimes all you need is to rant, but everyone’s transition is different. Some students love being away from their family, and at first I hated it. Getting involved was the number one thing that helped make Florida State home to me.

I am proud to say that as a senior, I never get homesick. It definitely took a lot of work, but I would not have it any other way.