Going to College

December 8, 2009

College starts in ten months for seniors, twenty-two for juniors, thirty-two for sophomores and forty-two for freshman. Although I am not there yet, I got a chance to get an inside look at the magical four years that await me.

A couple weekends ago, I attended a program called Women of Distinction at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. I was only there for three days, but during my short visit I realized 3 things that college will leave you, take from you, or give to you, making me even more excited to get there.

1) Near or far, the environment will leave you surprised.
You’d probably laugh at the list of “must be worn” east coast inspired outfits I tried to put together, or the different classics I brushed up on, just to be sure that I would have good conversation fillers. You could even call me insane for spending hours reading page after page of College Confidential on what every prospective student should ask during a college visit.

I tried to be as prepared as I could for this opportunity, but my efforts were beyond fruitless. The only thing I got right was an umbrella. I had packed sweaters, coats, thermals, wool socks, scarves, fur caps, even mittens. Little did I know that every building on campus would have the heater on blast, leaving me desperately wishing for a T-shirt.

I don’t usually take showers at 2 am either, but I am guessing college has a way of flip-flopping schedules. My host, Mindy, definitely had the most odd daily routines. Napping in the afternoon, to eating breakfast at 12 after her first class, to being able to get dressed for a party in under five minutes – she never failed to surprise me. She left me with a bit advice, “Don’t expect anything.”

2) All identities will be taken away, no one knows you.
Most of my academic preparation was useless as well. When given the opportunity to talk to professors and provosts, I found myself in the most random discussions talking about the most interesting subjects. There was no way I could have known to familiarize myself in topics such as circadian rhythms or the struggle of the black writer.

At first I was intimidated by the newness of the situation, but I quickly realized it wasn’t as much about fact as it was about opinion. Coming in with an open mind led to the exposure of amazing concepts. I didn’t feel stupid, not for one second. I had no idea what narcolepsy was, but instead of being lost I was enlightened. It felt natural coming in with questions.

At college, no one knew me. They didn’t know what type of kid I was. I was just like everyone else there, and I guess the whole “I can be whoever I want to be” comes with going to any new place, but in college it’s almost expected.

Never in the world would I be caught at an Afro-Jazz dance lesson. But hey, no one knew that, so I went on chanting Swahili and Jamaican Patois while awkwardly contorting my ribcage.

3) College will give you limitless opportunities: social and academic.
West-Quad Story, a battle to the end between a female acapella group from Smith and a male group from the University of Connecticut blew my mind. Those students looked like they loved singing more than a fat boy loves cake. Watching the acapella group made me realize how many different things I could be a part of in college. There are so many more people and everyone pursues their interests.

I met people from 32 states during my stay, two from Hawaii, and some from Minnesota and Iowa. Everyone had such unique stories. There was almost nothing in common, and instead of freaking me out, I was more curious about their lives.

At college, everyone was here for the same thing; getting out in the world. There’s just something motivating about seeing people not a lot older than you talking about their futures with determination.

Whether they are waking up at 4 in the morning to go rowing on nearest river, or spending most of their free time in the lab transcribing tapes of child behavior, or just eating in the dining hall, they are taking advantage of what college has offered them.

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