I survived....my first semester at college!
I haven’t gotten a chance to write much in the college section here, which makes me sad to see it so bare. Nevertheless, in a way it somewhat speaks for itself- college is crazy busy. But it makes me so happy to be back in California, writing, and sharing my life with you again! And even more so that you would take the time to read this…I’m genuinely flattered.
Semester one of college is done. I survived!!! And let me just tell you, I absolutely love everything about it… well, maybe except the fact that the dining hall food got monotonous very, very quickly, but what else would one expect? Oh and I couldn’t possibly forget the frigid 4 degree weather I had to trudge through to get to one of my exams a couple of weeks ago. It certainly makes me happy to be back on the West coast.
From the moment in August that I began unloading my grandparent’s car to move my belongings into my new room (and into my new life) the whirlwind began. The “goodbye’s” and long hugs used to mask tears were not quite over, but both parties were coming towards a more peaceful realization that while the old chapter may be ending, a new one is beginning; the “goodbye’s” are only “see ya later’s” and tears are also partnered with excitement for what comes next.
To be completely honest, the thrill of college living was so amazing that I only missed home when I really wanted to. Other than that, I could wait till winter break to escape my newfound adulthood. Except, I really missed my dog. Face timing her was an absolute must, even if it was to just see her all sprawled out. Example A:
Learning to live on my own is an experience that I openly welcomed. Don’t get me wrong, I love living with my family; there’s just something special about being on my own schedule, going to the farmer’s market or even cleaning the room for yourself. However, I was not completely living on my own- I share my new humble abode with a very sweet young girl, who too was about to begin her first year’s college journey. It’s interesting living with someone else you barely knew before; accommodating each other’s guests and habits, but I think we definitely got the long end of the stick in that department.
One aspect that scared me the most about college was the whole “making friend’s” part. After the Welcome Weekend activities, it became apparent to me that about 60% of the freshman around me already had pre-existing friend groups that migrated with them to Miami. Not to mention that the majority of the students come from one of the 5 C’s: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago or China. So, as you could imagine, this added to my worry. Despite this belief, I did make friends. The girls in my corridor were very friendly and just as eager to make new friends as I was. We meshed for the time being, but when we got into the groove of where we were supposed to be after classes started, we made even more friends that seemed to be more compatible with our personalities. I just love being able to walk down the hall to talk to my friends or even to bask in their presence while doing nothing, and I love having such a wide variety of friends with different backgrounds and life stories.
Dorm life pleasantly surprised me, and that could be contributed to the fact that our hall had been newly renovated a couple years ago, or the relentless work of the kind housekeeping staff. The bathrooms: neat, the carpets: clean, the common areas and kitchen: welcoming (despite the rotten smell from the exchange student’s cooked cow foot that permeated the area for several days). Even doing laundry was surprisingly pleasant and something I looked forward to, which is quite strange for me to admit.
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All was fine and dandy until someone stole my ice cream from the common area freezer…
Yea, I wasn’t too happy a camper after that. But it’s fine.
Classes began and the first day even surprised me! I had been worried about being underprepared for the rigorous college courses (despite the AP classes I had taken in High School), ready to turn all my time over to higher education to bombard me with essays requiring words and ideas beyond my comprehension, taking my love for learning beyond its bounds. But boy was I so wrong.
I was more than well equipped, thanks to my incredible education and the amazing teachers of RUHS. I was thrilled to understand Statistic terms I learned in High School, that were applied in my Motor Skills class; or Physiology concepts being reintroduced in my Public Health class; or even how the essay writing techniques I learned in High School English were more than sufficient to capture grades I was proud to send to my parents. I took courses to fulfill the general requirements in subjects I would’ve otherwise never thought to take (Film History and Analysis & The History of Western Dress) which led me to see those things in a different, more educated light. Each professor had a passion for the subjects he/she taught and a knowledge that inspired. My love for learning had been altered for sure, but in a way that made me even more ecstatic to be in class (that definitely sounds nerdy, I know, but I think you got through the thick of it). I found a wonderful place to study though. It definitely beats sitting in a library for hours on end. Sometimes you gotta make do.
Among the many changing parts of my life already, I decided to pick up a job at the ice rink on campus, and work for an actual boss for the first time in my life. And no, I did not just sit around doing nothing beforehand. My prior work experience on my resume includes “Child Care Provider”, just a fancier way of me saying that I had been a babysitter for most of my life. I made adequate money to suffice my online shopping habits, but moving away also meant being unable to babysit for the people that I had built relationships with over the years. I also thought that when I was signing up for the job, I would be an ice girl during the games (shoveling ice off the surface during media time-outs). What I didn’t know, was that aside from game time, I had to fulfill other duties….as in, building management duties…as in cleaning floors and windows, etc. Upon my first realization of this, I felt as though I would not last beyond the first semester, however, the job began to grow on me because of the genuine friends I had made, among other benefits, and I actually look forward to going back.
Being in college also meant getting to support my collegiate sports. I had always enjoyed tailgating for my dad’s college football team, but now I got to tailgate for my own team. Now, our football program is nothing to write home about and the burgers may have been a bit burnt, but the experience of tailgating was so surreal for me. Win or (mostly) lose, I loved it! Although, I do have to give them credit- they pulled out 6 straight wins at the end of the season to qualify themselves for the St. Petersburg bowl, which I proudly watched on Dec. 26th, planted on my couch while wearing my bowl shirt and looking for players I had classes with. It was another cool experience to watch my own school on TV, since I grew up next to my father watching USC play games on TV, sitting next to him and rooting them on alongside of him.
Even though I had moved away from my home, I was moving closer to family on the other side of the country. I now have the pleasure of living 20ish minutes away from delicious home-cooked meals and long, deep hugs from my loving grandparents and other maternal-sided family members; something I am very lucky to have. It was one of the main factors that I was looking for when I was researching my future… a place far enough away so that I could be independent, but close enough to family that could be there if I needed anything or even just needed an escape for a quick weekend.
Fall in Oxford has become my new favorite season. The trees are absolutely vibrant, and their leaves cover the ground in preparation for impending snow. Besides the beautiful sights that this season brings, the temperatures are certainly more bearable, as a simple cardigan and jeans with Birkenstocks would suffice. Now, I wouldn’t even be able to survive the single digit tundra without 4-5 layers including a heavy winter jacket (I wish I was exaggerating). Nevertheless, my school is absolutely photogenic in any season.
I’m struggling to write this even over break because I’m taking a course over J term (the 4 week winter semester), which is extremely rigorous. Again, another example of how much I love learning; the fact that I would do that to myself. I’ve been learning more Latin and Greek than I ever knew was possible.
Having this time away from college has been a great opportunity to gain perspective on many things. What I want to do with my future, who my true friends are, relationships, and how time is the true test of everything, are just a few things I’ve pondered upon. I just have to keep in mind that everything happens for a reason, good or bad. I’m really looking forward to what lies ahead in the coming semester- the lessons I’ll learn, how 2nd semester rush will turn out, and who I’ll come in contact with. I’ll be sure to keep you posted!
Also, be sure to check out more photos on my Facebook profile, here! That's a better way to stay up to date with everything because I'm not the best at keeping up with writing.