Teresa Giudice Feeling ‘Mixed Emotions’ After Taking Daughter Gia, 18, To College

As Gia Giudice, 18, soon enters syllabus week at Rutgers University, her mom Teresa, 47, will adjust to her first week without having her eldest daughter at home. “Teresa Giudice is struggling and having mixed emotions as Gia goes away to school,” a source close to the family EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife. Teresa filmed the college move-in day on Aug. 28, which featured the handy skills of her brother Joe Gorga, who packed up his niece’s belongings into a moving truck and installed her bed headboard. “She’s so thankful to have her brother Joe there to help her while Joe Giudice is away,” our source says.

Teresa’s husband had to miss out on yet another milestone in their four daughters’ lives as he remains in custody of ICE, where Joe has been fighting a deportation order to his native Italy since finishing a 42-month prison sentence on March 14. “She always knew this day would come, but it’s a challenge not having Joe Giudice there to do this together,” our source reveals. “Joe Gorga has really stepped up big time when it comes to helping the girls and doing things their dad would normally do.”

Of course, Gia is leaving behind a proud mom, who has previously said her daughter is interested in law given Joe’s deportation battle. “Teresa is so happy for Gia who is beyond words excited to be a college student,” our source clarifies, but still, the mother of four “will miss having Gia around every day.” Her first-born “has helped out so much with her younger sisters [Gabriella, 15, Milania, 14, Audriana, 10] so her mom can go to work and have some time to herself,” our source explains. Teresa has been filming with The Real Housewives of New Jersey since 2009, a decade before Gia started college!

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“Teresa couldn’t be prouder of Gia, but she’s been very emotional,” our source continues. “It’ll be tough and an adjustment not seeing her daily. She will probably call her way too many times a day!” And hey, at least Rutgers University is roughly a one-hour drive from the Giudice home in Montville!

Gia will be missing one other family member that wasn’t mentioned above, and that’s her dog Bella! The scholar had an emotional farewell with the pooch, which Teresa caught on camera (Gia pretended to be annoyed).