In the weeks, and later, the days,
leading up to my arrival at Ithaca, I felt myself becoming increasingly more
anxious about starting what I would consider the greatest change of my life.
Thoughts of uncertainty plagued my mind. Would I like my roommate? Will I like
my professors? Will I be able to handle my course load? Despite all of the negative
hypothetical scenarios that were constantly running in my head, I kept an open
mind, and as I began to think about how beautiful the campus was, and remember stories
from friends and family who have attended Ithaca in the past, anxiety
transformed to anticipation.
In the week that I’ve been at
Ithaca, almost all of my concerns have faded. My roommate and I get along well,
and we have a lot of overlapping interests. My courses seem manageable and I
really do have ample amount of time to complete any work that I need to. It
really is close to a perfect situation.
When I hear stories about how
friends from home are poorly adjusting to their college lifestyle, I’m imbued
with a sense of pride. Of course I miss my family, having my own room, and
being in an overall more familiar living situation, but I have an immense
appreciation for the amount of freedom and independence I have as a college
student. With increased independence comes increased responsibility as well. I
understand why some can become frustrated because of it, but personally, I love
it all so far.
