College Nostalgia

Remember when I went off to school? When I packed my millions of bags and ventured into the dorms for move-in day on that hot day in August? My crazy first roommate. Trekking from the top floor of the parking garage to my dream dorm room I signed up for in February. Our A/C that blasted too cold. The smells of college. The new people. The excitement. The terror.

Lately I've been a bit nostalgic, with the dorm sales flashing across the TV and passing the adorable coordinated bed and bath sets at the store. Plus, with this bundle-of-joy coming any day, I find myself reminiscing a lot back into the days without responsibility. That tiny little sliver of time between the rules of parents and responsibility of adulthood. A small piece of freedom with hardly any consequences.

The ups and the downs were about as dramatic as they come. I remember not meeting my first legitimate friend until the end of September - a month after moving in. I remember the homesickness I had and feeling like "this is it?" when everyone left and all I had was my weird roommate and a stack of expensive textbooks. I remember having the extreme heartache associated with being in a long-distance relationship hardly anyone truly believed in. I remember spending hours setting up the perfect organization system and decorating my side of the dorm, only to avoid the room at all costs within a month of moving in. I remember running to catch a bus only to see it drive off without me. I remember the first club rejection I ever received and being told that I was special in high school, but am now one of 45,000 special high school kids coming together - which made me unremarkable. I remember the tears, the frustrations, and the many times I wondered if it was all worth it.

But I also remember the happy times - most of them came much later than the movies showed. The movies painted a picture of instant life-long friendships, having social events every second of every day, not running out of money, and classes that seemed to be aced despite not ever attending or studying. I remember the weekends spent in Missouri and the weekends Phillip spent in College Station. I remember the student discounts and late nights with no obligations. I remember trying a hundred different organizations before finally finding my niche my sophomore year. I remember the second a huge crisis turned into an easily fixed problem. I remember nights of laughter, walking around on campus, the way sporting events took over the city, and how proud I felt packing my things up to leave. I did it. I made it through. I didn't quit.

I wouldn't have changed anything for the world. I survived and thrived. There were times I couldn't muster up the strength to keep going, and times I had to help others keep going. But I finished.

And now, I am getting my masters degree so I can help other college students down their path to success. The raw reality of college - the good, bad, and ugly - is hard for most to take in. But it's part of life. It's growing up. It's not giving in when you really could and standing on your own two feet without the safety net of your parents. It's making your own decisions. It's turning into the person you are going to be for the rest of your life.