Life is hard. But we all knew that already didn’t we? From day one, we are thrust into this world with no knowledge of how to circumvent it. We can’t communicate, can’t move ourselves from point A to point B. We are completely dependent on those around us. But then we learn to walk and talk, and so we think, “the hard part is finally over”. And, miraculously, we are wrong. Now there are choices to make, friends to deal with and rules to follow. But this is as bad as it can possibly get, right? Once I grow up, life will be easier. Nope, wrong again. And again, and again, and again. Here’s the sad truth: life will always be hard.
I had to google how to play seven up the other day because I didn’t remember…I think it’s time I returned to kindergarten. Please.
Thank you! It’s so nice hearing that my past year has been seen as something more than a mess! It means so much to me to hear you say all of that :) Looking forward to seeing you!
Congratulations! On behalf of our faculty and the admission committee, it gives me great pleasure to offer you admission to Wesleyan University for Fall 2012.
I could not be more excited right now. After the mess that freshman year has been, and all of the rejections that I have received this week, getting into my first choice school is the most amazing feeling in the world. Watch out Wes, I’m showing up August 29th.
Today was one of those happy days. Despite having my first final tomorrow and needing to study more than I have so far, I was blissfully, completely, 100% happy. Do you know how good a feeling that is? I woke up early, went to Old Salem to help out with the horse show, rode one of my favorite horses, hung out with my barn friends, chilled by the side of the ring, made silly, inappropriate commentary on every class that I watched, and didn’t have a care in the world. There was no pressure of having to be at the ring in time for my round because I wasn’t showing. I didn’t have to rush and I was just able to laugh with my friends and take a deep breath. I don’t know when the last time was that I did that.
Dear Future Freshman,
The transition to college is hard. You go through the months and months of applying and waiting and finally you get in somewhere. It may be your first choice, it may be your last choice, but the point is you have somewhere to go. You’re excited, you’re choosing a roommate, you’re meeting people on facebook, going to meetups in your town, and looking forward to the prospects of the future. Or maybe you’re holed up in your room, upset about how your dream school rejected you and now you have to go to your safety school and your life is over. As somebody who has had one of the most unsettling, unstable, crazy, confusing, unideal, and anticlimactic freshman years, take it from me: signing your name on the dotted line and telling a college that you are going to attend is not written in stone! It’s on paper, and paper can very easily be put in a shredder and turned into hamster bedding! I went into my freshman year with way too many expectations. I thought that I would step onto campus, meet an amazing group of people, assimilate into life with the snap of my fingers, and never look back. Instead, I was lonely, changing friends every five days, uncomfortable with my surroundings, and missing home. First of all, if you feel like this the first few days, don’t freak out! Orientation is a bitch, and there is no need to meet your best friend on day one. But by Thanksgiving, when I was still unhappy, I knew that I needed a change.
I have had my life planned out since I was seven years old. I knew where I wanted to go to college, what I wanted to do with my life, and any bumps in the road were very much not appreciated. I remember getting acceptance and rejection letters from colleges, and saying to my mom, “I really hope I don’t have to transfer. That would suck.” But then I found myself packing up my room into giant brown boxes during reading week in December and applying to spring college programs. The month of December was one of the most nerve racking times of my life. I left my first college with no prospects for the spring. I had applied to a few places, but I wouldn’t hear back until early January. If I didn’t get in anywhere, then I would be taking a “gap semester”. This was the first time I had ever taken such a leap of faith. But the idea of staying another semester at my current college made me miserable, so it seemed worth it.
I’ve been told many times this year that I am the poster child for a crappy freshman year and how it can work out in the end. Luckily, I did well in school my first semester and got into another university for the spring. I reapplied to colleges to transfer to in the fall, went through all the annoying commonapp craziness, and went to class every day. Now it is the last week of school. I don’t find out if I got in anywhere for next fall for a few weeks, but I’m not as scared about what could happen. If things don’t go smoothly, I know that there are other options.
What I’m trying to say is, though starting college in the fall seems like the next big step in your life, and it is, don’t feel like you have made an unchangeable decision. Every school is not for every person. Go into your first semester of college with an open mind, and don’t worry if things don’t work out. In the end, you’ll end up where you want to be. Transferring doesn’t mean that you’ll never succeed at college, or that you’re not ready, or that there’s something wrong with you. College is four years of your life. It shouldn’t be spent somewhere where you’re not happy. Until you’ve gone through the process of transferring, it’s hard to understand how not a big deal it is. Though some people around you may criticize you, question your motives, or fail to give you support when you need it, the important thing to remember, and that I had to learn, is that your life is your life. It doesn’t matter what other people think. Don’t stay at a school just because you think you should. College is the first time when you get to choose where you study and who you study with. The beauty of higher education is that it’s not required. Nobody can tell you where to be and when to be there. So make your own decisions, and try to have a good freshman year. Oh, and stay away from the jungle juice. That shit can fuck you up.
Good luck,
Sam
The sorting hat put me in Hufflepuff. I think that it may have been practicing for 4/20 before putting me there, but I’ve accepted that.
Our common room is so cozy. I want to go curl up in there and read a book.
My last day of classes is three weeks from today. It seems weird to me that it’s already been three and a half months since I got into Columbia. I still remember the constant state of waiting and worrying that accompanied the time between leaving Emory and getting that acceptance letter. It’s scary to think that in a matter of weeks I will be sitting in my last class as a college freshman.
