As second semester of my freshman year nears its end, I find myself looking back at how much has changed since graduating high school.

I didn’t have the quintessential experience of most American teenagers. My graduating class of 64 seniors, (yes 64 seniors,) did have its fair share of friendships, conflict, drama, stress, and memories. Though segregated into many different cliques, everyone knew each other’s names, likes, dislikes, and had a general understanding of each person’s varying personality. Even if there was nothing to talk about, there would always be something binding us together, the school as a whole. Each teacher and faculty member had their own set of quirks, to say the least, and as a complete student body, there was a universal list of which classes were easy, hard, too much work, stress-inducing, etc.

Come senior year, we were more than ready to leave the little, tight-knit community we had fostered for ourselves for so long. The truth was, we were tired of the same faces, the same problems, the same everything, but what we didn’t realize at the time was the one thing we’d miss the most, the constancy of us as a class. This environment that we matured in was perfect for everlasting relationships and moments that would be practically impossible for any other high school graduate to share.

Who else can say they had inside jokes which every member of the class would understand, or that they would all come together to create massive study guides during finals season, or that they knew every student in the grade, every teacher, and almost all of the underclassmen? Close to none.

So you can imagine that when I came to Rutgers New Brunswick, the sheer size, both in its number of undergraduates and physical composition of four separate campuses, it was a bit of a shock. Don’t get me wrong, I knew exactly what I was getting into, and I was definitely ready for a for something new, though hesitant at first. Especially as a commuter, I was afraid of not being able to make the same type of lasting relationships, since it’s so easy to meet someone new and almost never see them again, even in the same lecture hall of over three hundred students.

Though about half of my graduating class committed to Rutgers, it’s definitely not the same as seeing them in the halls every day. I’m still close to my best friends from high school, even if we only manage to see each other once a week and try my best to stay in contact with those out of state.

It’s almost been a year and I’m still working on finding my niche. If there’s anything I learned from high school, it’s that it’s definitely all about the journey. Always have a goal in mind, but don’t forget about the people and experiences that helped lead the path there. And though it may take longer to find my place and way to stand out among thirty thousand undergraduates, I know I’ll end up where I am supposed to be. However, this new change of scene doesn’t scare me, it excites me, and it most definitely takes me out of my comfort zone.

I’m slowly falling in love with the all four of the campuses and the college town and I’m more than ready to be challenged with new adventures ahead.