Coming into my freshman year of college, I faltered when a flood of anxiety and nervousness swept me. This has been the first time since first grade that I have gone to a new school with new people, and the thought of starting all over is daunting, yet still exciting. New friends, new experiences, new places, and even more freedom are all appealing; university has given me the opportunity to grow and find out who I am, as well as who I can become.

As cliché as it seems, the saying that 'I am going to find out who I am going to become' is true. College has exceeded all my expectations and resolved my worries, and I am so thankful that I could start this new chapter of my life in an incredible city where so many of family members have grown up. At first, I worried that my migraines would pose an issue and make it harder to be an active part of the community. However, I have realized that although I still struggle with this, I am not in classes for eight hours a day and more importantly, the friends that I have made here are understanding and caring. I am so grateful for everyone I met on move-in day and those who I have gotten closer with because of their unique views on the world, quirky personalities, and wonderful characters. I truly do not know what I would do without them.

I always wondered what my professors would be like and how different a college class would be. At my high school, we had a lot of college level courses and post-AP seminars to help further prepare us; nonetheless in reality nothing is as accurate as firsthand experience. This may appear silly, but I find it weird to use the term "professors" instead of teachers. A lecture class is a weird thing to adjust to, coming from a small high school and despite Brandeis not being a large university. Still, I have my first lecture classes this semester and they are both sufficiently “small” courses to still be able to know the professor. I have seen other cases at larger schools, where the lecture classes are so big that the professor may just end up knowing a student as a number on his attendance sheet.

Lastly, but certainly not least, are the infamous Rabb steps. We were all first introduced to these during orientation, yet the real meeting occurs on the first day of classes. It is essentially a workout in itself, from the top of the walk at Massell Quad, which is up a hill, to up another one. This is not my favorite part about the day; however it helps tone my legs and pump my heart, so that is a plus.