My family means the world to me and they played a big part in my college decision. As a little kid, sleepovers at friends' houses intimidated me because my home was my safe place. My brothers' silly fights, my mom's constant teasing or even the weird way my dad ate kimchi straight out of the jar, didn’t matter to me. I just wanted to stay with my parents and brothers all the time. 

I moved away from home my first year of college to live in the dorms. Since then, I'm not able to spend every day with my family like I did before. I definitely miss the important parts of home like my friends, pets and community but it’s easier to thrive in college when you stay connected. How is this possible, you ask? Read below for my three tips to stay in touch with your loved ones in college.

1. Schedule calls as much as possible

Honestly, I usually call my family out of the blue — the hypocrisy, I know. However, if you block out time with them, you know they’ll pick up the phone — looking at you, mom. This makes life easier because you know you won't interrupt them and that you command their full attention. Recognize that we are all busy — this includes your loved ones at home. Catch yourself before you end up in a classic but frustrating game of phone tag.

2. Ask about their lives

This seems painfully obvious, but trust me when I say I learned this the hard way. A couple of times when I went home that first year, I heard about huge life changes my family didn't tell me about. Your loved ones are so interested in your fun college stories that they don't want to interrupt you. You don't even notice until later that you talked the entire call. If you’re invested in the happenings at home, then ask. Maybe your brother got a really good score on his MCAT or your sibling just started a new job or even your dog did something really cute. Maintain your relationships with your loved ones, that way you won't miss out on the important parts of their lives. 

3. Send photos, videos or memes that remind you of them

This is a super simple, easy tip to stay in touch. Send your loved one something funny or sappy — whatever you want. You both laugh and say a collective “awwww” about what you sent and then you’re on to the next topic without skipping a beat. Keep up the conversations. It's not easy to maintain relationships with loved ones when you're apart, you need to work at it. It's normal to run out of things to talk about. When this happens, cute pictures and funny memes act as your conversation starters.

Moving is a huge adjustment no matter where you go. Hopefully, these tips help you ease into the transition and maintain the most important connections in your life.

Coral Pongsuwan is a fourth-year human development and linguistics double major with a minor in education. She is a tour guide on campus and participates in a summer camp program at UC Davis called Cal Aggie Camp. In her free time, she reads, tries new food in Davis and hangs out with friends.