What do you do when you come to The University of Akron and not know a single person? Most of you probably went to the same high school, with the same people, had the same group of friends, and knew every teacher in your school. Then you came to a college campus, like Akron, that is filled with thousands of student, some from different towns, states, and even countries and don't know anything about them. This is a big transition for a lot of freshmen coming into college, I know for myself it was a big deal. I went from knowing things about my fellow classmates, like what religion they were, if they believed in Halloween or not—even knowing things about their family and family history. Compared to when I came to college not knowing any person on my dorm floor, let alone what religion they believe in, that was hard. The thing is, though, that is the beauty of college. You get to meet all new kinds of people and experience different cultures through them.
Going to Akron my freshman year, I was surrounded by people from all over the world, and it was a complete culture shock to me. I can remember one of the guys I met saying he had never seen a squirrel before, and I was dumbfounded. Then he explained he was from Nigeria, so then it started making more sense, but that was something I had never thought about people never seeing. There was also the situation where I had a girl read an essay in front of me about the hardships she endured growing up in a third-world country and the privileges she did not have. Having her read that and thinking of the life I was given changed my outlook on my life and the people around me. No one grew up having the same life as me and given the same privileges I had. Yet, these situations showed me that I needed to give everyone I met a fair shot, not judge a book by its cover, and listen to their thoughts and opinions. So, I starting asking people about the world they came from and asked them what it was like to leave their homes and come here. I learned a lot by asking people where they grew up and how it differed so far from college. It gave me a little insight into a world I would know nothing about if I had not met the person, and that can be one of the best ways to learn of a new place and culture.
For incoming freshmen, who, like myself lived in a city that had very little diversity, it is important that you come into college with an open mind. You never know who you will meet or where, so just remember that these experiences will only make you a more diverse person in the end. Get to know as many people as you can and try new things you would never have before. Take the time to get to know anyone and everyone you can. The people you surround yourself with and the things you choose to do with them are what is going to shape you into the adult you will become. You will only benefit from not limiting yourself in college.
