It feels like yesterday my parents dropped me off at school to begin my first year of college. We’re four months into 2016, freshman year is coming to an end, and yet I’m still dating my papers with the wrong year. The fact that I’ll be free of 8 a.m. classes and long nights in the CULC makes summer sound heavenly, but part of me doesn’t want to leave—until I come across all the homework and studying I haven’t begun.
Here are seven things I loved about freshman year at Georgia Tech:
1. Everyone is different.
Every person I’ve met here is different, very different. From different backgrounds and countries to various taste in music and political views, I am able to learn something new from every person I meet here, and I absolutely love it. Every person you talk to has a story to tell and I am yet to meet someone who hasn’t blown me away with all that they have to offer.
2. The CULC
I still remember the first day of school, when I referred to the CULC as "the Clough" and everyone in the Starbucks line glared at me in disgust. I had broken the law, and I’d like to take a moment to apologize for my freshman-ness. First semester, I thought the CULC was the place for lectures, labs, and an occasional 5th floor rooftop photo-shoot on a sunny day. Yet somehow, when second semester came along, the CULC turned into my second home. I never thought I’d be able to see the sun set and rise in one sitting, but I can officially cross that off my bucket list. So, CULC or Clough, thank you. Thank you for giving me a place to escape when my cubicle-sized dorm room ran out of air for me to breathe. You’ve seen me at my worst, quite literally, and yet you still take me in with open arms. Thank you.
3. Numbers
Freshman year has opened my eyes in the arena of numbers. My high school self use to discriminate against the values that were on the lower end of the 0-100 scale. Never had I ever thought that a 46 would be a number that entailed a celebration. So thank you, freshman year, for increasing my exposure to low values. To my fellow classmates, may the curve be forever in your favor—that is, if your professor curves. Also, here’s a tip for incoming freshmen: never ask a professor if your test is out of 50, it’s probably not.
4. Brittain-Nav-Woodwhoooo?
Brittain and North Ave... where do I begin? We started off with quite a loving relationship in the beginning of the year... you know, back when edible food was readily available. But hey, we all have our ups and downs. Brittain, I’d like to thank you for coming in clutch with your omelets and strawberries, you never fail to please me (sometimes). And North Ave, thank you for being there for me at 1 a.m. when I’m contemplating suicide, and all that can really save me is some coffee and soft-serve ice cream. You have cured my burger/pizza/fries/cereal cravings, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at a burger ever again—my hips will thank you later.
5. The Silent Library
I used to believe the whole “love-at-first-sight” thing was nonsense, but you changed me. It took me a whole semester to find you, but I finally did, and I’ve been a different person ever since. Besides giving me a place to get my life together without distractions, you have given me a place to binge on Netfilx, do some serious online credit card damage, and last but certainly not least, you have saved me from having dreadful conversations with people. In fact, I once had an argument with someone in the silent library. It's the perfect place to tell someone something without dealing with a dramatic response. So, you have a crazy girlfriend and you want to break up with her? Break the news in the silent library. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
6. The Connector (East Campus Squad ONLY)
I’m going to keep this short. I used to like you more, but somehow, everyone found out about you. Apparently, every time I decide to run, the rest of Georgia Tech does, too. It's safe to say I’ve never had to wait in line for a treadmill in my life, but, hey, college is all about first times. And don’t even get me started with the study rooms. They’re great when it's 4 a.m. and no one is there, but other than that, you better pray you know a brother there that’ll let you in (Shoutout to Greek life. I love y’all). I will say, however, that the few times that I have snagged a room to myself have been nothing short of amazing. And yes, I am guilty of taking up an entire room to myself... even though I still low-key judge people who do it.
7. Dorm Life
Okay, before you go crazy on me, hear me out. Yes, dorm life is far from the five star hotel that you wish you stayed at during vacations, but I enjoyed the experience. Sure, sharing a community bathroom with a floor of people sucks. Having to wear flip-flops in the shower is uncomfortable. Climbing to get up to your bed (and falling off sometimes) is annoying. But you form a bond with your floor that, in the end, makes it so worth it. In my dorm, we created a home away from home that made us family. I hung out with them, turned up with them (LOL), laughed with them, cried with them, complained about homework with them, tried to do homework with them, got annoyed with them, went to the dining hall at 1 a.m. with them... The list goes on. I’m grateful I met them, and I’ll miss the crazy, weird, funny memories I made with my entire floor. Not to mention the convenience of being five minutes away from all my classes. I’ll miss that the most. Waking up at 8:55 and still being on time to my 9 a.m. classes will sadly not be an option next year.
The way things have fallen into place are not quite how I imagined them ending. Freshman year changed me. I am no longer the same girl that stepped onto campus on August 13, 2015, searching for my identity. I’m grateful for the friendships that I’ve made (shoutout to the squad, y’all are the best) and the people that have crossed my path during my time here. The experiences and memories we shared brought me to where I am today.
Freshman year, I’ll miss you. I’ll miss feeling excited to meet people and discover campus, thinking “How will I ever get around this place without using Google maps?” It’s weird how different campus looks once you get used to it. You begin to notice the smaller things that you once overlooked, and it is these small things that are saturated in beauty.
But don’t get me wrong, I am so happy freshman year has come to an end. I saw it all: the good grades and the bad ones, the great friendships and the difficult ones, the amazing memories and the hurtful ones. But it’s time to close this chapter and embark on the next three or four years to come.
Did someone say countdown to graduation?
