I don’t know about you, but I love birthdays. You get presents, cake, yummy food, and time with friends and family. Depending on what you age you’re turning there are different milestones that happen in a person’s life, but nevertheless each year is one to celebrate. Birthdays in college can be a little weird at first. For most students, it’s the first time they’ll be away from their family on their birthday, which can make students not enjoy their day. These days are all about celebrating your student and the fact that they’re one year older, and it’s important that they enjoy their day instead of focusing on the negatives.

With my birthday rapidly approaching, I thought to myself how each year since High School it’s been celebrated differently. There’s no one right way to celebrate a birthday. I mean it depends on the person, but it’s still important to help make that person’s day special in general. I always did the same thing for my birthday in high school, so I knew coming to college was going to be a lot different than what I was used to. Each year it’s been different, but it’s been fun to experience my birthday in new contexts.

My freshman year, my family wasn’t able to spend it with me. It was the first birthday that I spent away from my parents, and it was a real wake up call for the “real world”. The day of my birthday I woke up and went to classes like usual, and when I got back to Blair Shannon I checked my mailbox which was full of cards and package slips. I almost cried because I was afraid that people would forget about my birthday since I was 3+ hours away. I actually had to call my roommate to help me carry up all of the things people had sent me because it was going to take me two trips to get it all up to my room. My mom wanted me to FaceTime her, so she could see me open my presents, and it was almost like being back at home.

It’s important to understand that your student will feel homesick and neglected at some point in their college career. It helps to celebrate their accomplishments and big days with them, even if you can’t physically be there to celebrate with them.  Being able to send your student anything through the mail will help their special day feel even more special and help them understand that they are still thought about even when they are away from home.

My sophomore year, my mom was able to celebrate with me since my birthday was the same weekend as my sorority’s mom’s weekend. We were able to go to dinner and go shopping together, especially since we are really close and the previous year she couldn’t be with me. It was really nice to have her take me places I didn’t usually go on my own (aka nicer restaurants), and to actually open presents in front of her instead of over FaceTime.

It’s understandable that families might not have the opportunity to spend their student’s birthday with them, but if you do have the opportunity to be with them, here are a few tips! First, take them to a restaurant that they don’t usually get to go to since they’re living on a budget. Second, bring a few physical presents for your student to open, as well as let them pick out some of their own while you’re visiting. This allows them to have some surprises but also partake in some impulse shopping. Lastly, let them plan their day. I know it’s exciting to share this experience with your students but let them pick out some things they’ve been wanting to try!

This year, my family can’t be with me. My parents were upset since it’s my 21^st Birthday, but we made a compromise. It didn’t work out on the weekend of my actual birthday, so they are coming down the weekend after. My friends and I are going to spend the whole day doing fun things downtown, so I don’t think I’ll be too upset. Now I understand that birthdays tend to be more flexible the older you get. Don’t get me wrong! I still love the attention, but now it’s more about the memories and experiences than it is the gifts.

How you celebrate birthdays are as different as the people who are celebrating them. It’s important to understand that each birthday is special, so you don’t want to do the same thing every year, but some traditions make the experience personal. As I mentioned earlier, it’s up to you how you celebrate them. So, whether it’s sending your student a cookie cake from Insomnia or taking them to Brew Co downtown for dinner, remember it’s an important day that deserves being celebrated in any way possible!

~Lauren

Lauren VanNess is a member of the Missouri State University ’19 – Honors College with a Major: Public Relations and a Minor: Marketing; University Ambassadors; Welcome and Traditions Coordinator and Leader for SOAR 2018; Gamma Phi Beta Sorority; and the Vicki Stanton Public Speaking Showcase | Awards Coordinator 2017-2018; 2018 Fraternity & Sorority Woman of the Year.