First of all, ignore anyone who laughs off your concerns.
Of course it’s bittersweet. You’re leaving the only home you’ve ever known to move in with strangers 3 hours away. If you weren’t nervous I would have my doubts about you.
And you can expect some homesickness. There will be moments when you doubt your wisdom in choosing to go away to school.
But you’ll get past those moments. You’ll make friends, you’ll find all your classes, you’ll find foods you love in the dining hall, you’ll find classes you love and professors you can recommend to others.
And in between, there will be phone calls home to mom and dad, and to your high school friends.
You’re not moving OUT. You’re going away to school for a few months at a time. And there will always be a place for you at home.
Bring a few things that will uniquely remind you of home, beyond just pictures. (For my daughter, it includes a Stitch pillow pet she picked up at Disney World, and a mason jar full of sand she stole from the beach last week.)
And @bopper had a great suggestion. If you feel this getting away from you-- if you’re nervous and upset to a point where it’s taking over your thoughts, go to the counseling center. In fact, if you think it will help, check in there during those first few days. This is your first time away, but every single year they deal with lots and lots of freshmen who feel exactly as you do. They’ll have real, practical strategies to help you.
Good luck! Check back in a few weeks and let us know how it’s going, OK?