This past week my family took a vacation to visit my parents' old friends in New York. One night we went to the local yacht club for dinner. I had never been to such a club but the reality was pretty much what you think it would be- a room full of wealthy, middle-aged, white people telling stories. While we were eating, my dad leaned over and made a joke: "When did I get this old?" and laughed. That comment got me to thinking, not long ago, my dad and all of those people in the club were facing the start of college, just as I am now.
Of course, it must have been at least a little different for them, what with the notable lack of cell phones or the vast resources today's internet provides. But maybe they also felt the same fears and anxieties that today's college freshmen face. Will I be able to make friends? How hard will my classes be? When will I find time to do laundry? I talked to my dad and he said that yes, he remembers feeling a lot of the same things that I, and probably many other incoming freshmen, are feeling now.
I discovered that while our two generations may be a lot different, the journey that we are embarking on now is one that many others have done before. To me, that is a comforting thought. If they can do it without the internet, then we can definitely do it. Especially because at USC, we have so many people who will help us on our way. From our Ra's who will help us adjust to dorm life, to our professors who want to see us succeed in their classes, to the extensive alumni network that will be an invaluable support system once graduation rolls around.
Not to mention all of our future friends that we're going to meet. Knowing that we have all these people cheering us on makes taking the plunge into college life much less scary. So, any incoming freshmen who are like me and are a little uneasy about starting college, fear not. I know, despite our fears, we're going to be just fine.
Who knows what stories we'll be telling when we're middle-aged one day? But, to quote David Bowie, "I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring". Fear not and fight on.
