Opinion editors are not responsible for agreeing or disagreeing with their writers but rather elevate each individual’s specific voice. 

College can be a rough transition period for a lot of new freshmen—myself included—especially if you are a plane ride away from home. Going home for the weekend becomes increasingly unlikely, and it’s difficult to quickly make new friends. 

So what do college students do to avoid calling their mom every hour after moving in?

I’ll tell you what I did: I bought a plant. Then multiple plants. When my room seemed bare, missing my elite stuffed animal collection from home, I walked the one block down Tremont Street to Chaba Florist and purchased a new plant friend. 

Since September, she has sat on my windowsill in my double in Little Building, soaking up what little Boston sunlight she can get. 

When I visit my friends’ dorm rooms, they all are laid out differently but reflect mine with a plant or two in the window. Why do we all feel the urge to fill our already cramped spaces with things we have to take care of, that seemingly do nothing for us in return? 

My answer is that they make me happy. Yes, it can be stressful when I forget to water my plants, which happens far more than I care to admit in this busy time in life. They can feel more of a nuisance when I leave for a week and have to pawn them off on a generous friend to care for. But I still pick up more plants when I see them on sale in Whole Foods. 

I like collecting plants in colorful pots. I love propagating clippings from my friends’ plants—then they’re all related to the family (plant) trees. 

But they do more good than just visually making me happy. Plants have been proven to have multiple benefits to humans, like improving air quality, increasing productivity, and reducing stress. Plants have also been shown to increase people’s mental health via increasing happiness levels. 

It feels like a fun simulation when I take care of them and watch them grow. I get to cosplay motherhood through my plant babies. While I am in a time of my life where I feel out of control by things happening around me, my plants are something I can directly change. 

I may not be able to fully take care of myself at times—get enough sleep every night, eat healthy when stressed about school work—but I can make sure my plant is living her best life. It keeps me on track in my own life; I can’t stay in bed all day because my plants need me. 

During my first year in college, I also found that plants can be a fun way to connect with new friends. It can be awkward acclimating straight to “best friend” status with someone who was a stranger a thousand miles away just a few months ago. And how am I supposed to buy them a birthday present when I don’t know their middle name?

That’s where plants have saved me on more than one occasion. Just as people think dogs look like their owners, I think that plants reflect their owners, both personality-wise and looks. I love picking out plants for my friends that remind me of them. And it’s a present that (hopefully) doesn’t die! Every time they look at their new plant friend, they will think about you giving it to them. 

Whether you are new to school and adjusting to your new college life or just want something to look forward to each day, a plant could be your new best friend!