Spending her first birthday away from home in Orange, California with COVID-19 was definitely not on the college to-do list for Natalie Ahmadzadeh, a sophomore strategic and corporate communications major. Luckily, her parents and close friends back home in Northern California were still able to make her day a little easier.

“My mom sent flowers and a giant cookie cake which I ate pretty fast,” Ahmadzadeh said. “My friends also sent me flowers, and a lot of deliveries (came in the) mail, which was super fun, because I was still able to open gifts within quarantine.”

For some college students, spending their first birthday away from home is bittersweet. Although they are often excited to spend the day celebrating with their friends, it can be hard leaving old traditions behind.

Ahmadzadeh told The Panther that ever since she was 10-years-old, her mom has made raspberry cupcakes with raspberry filling for her birthday. However, now that she lives 350 miles away, new traditions have started to form.

“On both birthdays I've had away from home (so far), my mom has FaceTimed me at 12 a.m. on the dot," Ahmadzadeh said. "I guess that's a new tradition that we will get accustomed to since I'm not typically home for my birthday anymore.”

For sophomore integrated educational studies major Juliette Jorgenson, her friends made her birthday a day to remember in Orange back in September.

“I came back home from the farmers market (on my birthday), and my hometown friend and my roommates had decorated the whole house and were making breakfast for me, so it was really sweet,” Jorgenson said. “It definitely was not a difficult day to have away (from home).”

Although for the foreseeable future Jorgenson said she plans to spend her birthday with her friends, she said there’s always a belated celebration with her parents back in her hometown of San Jose, California.

“When I go back home to visit my family, whether it’s a birthday or any big events that we want to celebrate, we usually just go celebrate belatedly, and we'll go to our favorite Thai restaurant," Jorgenson said.

According to College Fashion, the best way for a college student to celebrate their first birthday away from home is to treat themselves to their favorite meal, reach out to loved one either through a text or a letter, have a self care day spent in bed watching their favorite show or even complete something from their bucket list. 

Although Jena Mukai, a sophomore communication studies major, said all she did on her first birthday away from home back in October 2021 was go to dinner at Hanano Ramen with her roommate, she has fond childhood memories of fun birthday parties.

“I was maybe eight or nine years old; (my family) has a rental property, and my dad put a pool behind it, and my mom invited all my friends," Mukai said. "She bought a bunch of floaties and water guns, and it was really cool.”

Although birthdays away from home can be hard, Jorgenson offers a piece of advice to those who might be struggling without their family.

“I would say (people should) Facetime their (family) when opening any cards or gifts sent in the mail,” Jorgenson said. “It’s definitely not the same but it is still special and makes it a meaningful moment.”