We are now a month away from classes and I can't help but think about how fast this summer has gone by. It seems like yesterday I was just packing up my dorm room, loading my car and handing in my keys.
For some of you, this may be the beginning of your college career, and for those in my shoes, this is the end of our college (or undergrad) years.
For the last three years I have been pretty involved on campus, being in Residential Life, a social club (Kappa Phi 'til I die) and an academic organization.
Now that my fourth year approaches, I am sitting in my room thinking about all the times I left home for school and how each trip has changed me. I am sure many people reading this has experienced the same feelings, but I hope that this article will give a sort of heads up for any upcoming freshmen who are excited/nervous/terrified about going off to school.
Move-in day freshman year was a whirlwind of emotions. The car ride was fun mainly because it was packed with my belongings along with my brothers with my parents not too far behind (using a trailer to bring the rest of my stuff. Yeah, I know). I remember filling out all of the paperwork to live in the dorm, anxiously waiting to meet my roommate and trying to maintain my stress levels for everything I had to do. Then the worst part happened: my family had to leave. Being a person so in tune with her emotions, I knew there was no possible way that I could hold back tears. My family prayed over me, we hugged and cried (a lot). For a daddy's girl who is fine with leaving for a few weeks for trips, this goodbye was harder because I knew that it would be a while before I got to see my dad and my family.
This first experience was very new and very overwhelming. I was so thankful for what OBU provided, a "home" (the Welcome Week theme that year). I am sure most campuses do this for their newbies, but OBU went above and beyond to help their freshmen feel like the campus would be their home for the next four years.
Sophomore year:
I packed my car myself, drove myself to school, but it was still emotional. I spent most of the summer as a summer staffer at Falls Creek, so I wasn't home as much as I thought I would be, but I was okay. Freshman year was a growing year for me, so moving back wasn't as much of an emotional roller coaster. I had the opportunity to be a part of Residential Life, so I got to be on the opposite side: the welcomer. My job now was to welcome the new students and make the campus their home. I got to participate in traditions the campus has for Welcome Week, and I got to continue to create a home for my residents for the whole school year.
Junior year:
Honestly, I couldn't wait to go back to school. I spent the summer at home, babysitting and driving to and from Shawnee to visit my boyfriend on weekends. I love my family, but after going two years of seeing them on weekends or special occasions, it was definitely hard to live under their rules 24/7. They were lenient on some of the rules because I was an "adult," but it was a different world. Staying home was hard because all of my new friends were in Texas where they lived, so the thought of getting to see them again made me want to go back to school ASAP.
Senior year:
I am ready to see my family. I am ready to graduate. I am ready to get married and have a big kid job. There are so many emotions right now because I am realizing that this is my last year as a student to have all of the back to school excitement. This year is different. I am moved out of my parents home, so I won't be moving all of my things this August for the school year, and I won't be crying because they are leaving. This year will be packed with many emotions I am sure, but I am excited to see what kind of roller coaster senior year has in store.
