Driving up to the back door of Loschert Hall in a rented minivan with Texas plates greeted by a thousand screams of orientation leaders and RAs is anything but comforting - let's go with completely and utterly mortifying as well as overwhelming. Meeting your roommate for the first time and praying she isn't some freak from Craigslist. Going to jam-packed busy and pointless orientation days that are filled with awkward ice breakers with people you never speak to again. The saga continues as you hurriedly look for your eight a.m. classes in a campus that seems like a maze, discover what's safe to eat at the dining hall for your digestive system and try not to be that weird kid who goes to bed super early.
Eventually, you find your niche. You find a group of friends who will always eat with you at lunch, even though they may put up a fight about where you're eating. They'll always tell you when you're doing the most in the outfit that exposes your entire midriff when you're about to go out. You can always tell them when it's time for them to take a shower because man, do they reek. Your opinion always counts when it comes to that weird water polo dude that your friend wants to go home with. Vetoed.
Most of the time, it turns out your roommate isn't a serial killer or a weird girl who still breastfeeds. She even may turn out to be your best friend. Don't hype yourself up on the roommate horror stories because you might be the one to end up with a happy ending.
Campus is no longer a maze. You know your friends will always be clad with a picnic blanket on the quad on an 80-degree day. You know all the good eateries and where all of your classes are, so you can wake up later and spend less time looking at the campus map that is definitely only there for tourists. You make friends in your classes and are no longer terrified to go to a professor's office hours.
You fall in love with your school. Waving to people you know as you walk across campus to go grab a bite with a friend from class. Packed days on the quad are some of the most beautiful, filled with shirtless men and smiles on all the students' faces. Going out doesn't seem quite so scary, because you know that you'll always have that one spot in that one corner to go to - however, cover charges will always seem ridiculous. Failing a test isn't quite so bad, because your friends are there to pick you up a pint of Ben and Jerry's.
Yes, these are many of the ups of freshman year, including the chaos from the first semester. Unfortunately, there are arguments with friends, the freshman 15 and terrible love stories. Despite the bad grades and terrible food, you look back and realize it was one of the best years of your life. As you hug your friends goodbye and feel your eyes well up with tears, which eventually turns into a sob, you realize you don't want to leave. There's no place like home, but this is home. So, here's to three months of being away and let's get back ASAP.
There's only one word to describe this beautiful mess of a college experience.
Bittersweet.
