This time last summer, my vacation was drawing to a close and the time to purchase college supplies was steadily approaching. I was sending myself off to a school three hours away from home where I knew absolutely no one, and to say I was nervous would be an understatement. I spent a lot of time worrying about this milestone in my life, and looking back now, my worries were fruitless. I loved every single moment I spent at Lycoming College, and I am beyond excited to go back. The feelings I’ve had as an upcoming sophomore have been vastly different from my feelings going into my freshman year for a number of reasons.
1. The newbie moments are over
I’m familiar with everything at school. This year has been packed with tons of “freshman moments” as I like to call them. From being told that wearing your lanyard around your neck isn’t cool, to finding out after weeks on campus that you don’t have to scan into the academic center during the daytime, I had some pretty embarrassing experiences, but thankfully (and hopefully) those are behind me. I remember stressing this time last year over not being familiar with certain things like those as well as the layout of the campus, but my freshman year taught me the ropes, and it is definitely more comfortable to return to a place you know than take on a place you don’t.
2. Returning to my home away from home
It’s more than just classes. As I had every other year, I definitely felt pretty bummed about summer ending last year. Of course there’s always the first day of school excitement, but aside from that, getting back into the swing of things always left me kind of bitter in the past. Despite that, this year has been totally different. I am actually beyond excited to be heading back to Lycoming College. The start of classes and homework isn’t something I’m thrilled about, but there is so much more to school now than that. Going back to school now means being reunited with my best friends and getting back into all the clubs and extracurricular groups of which I’m a member. It means doing homework at The Alabaster or walking to Sawhorse Café for breakfast on a Sunday. I love coming home to see my family and my boyfriend, but Lycoming College is my home away from home. It holds a special place in my heart now that I’ve become accustomed to it.
3. Freedom
I have more freedom. Last year, I didn’t know what it felt like to live way from my parents, so I didn’t experience the nagging annoyance of having to tell my mom where I’ll be and when I’ll be home. Readjusting to living with my parents was definitely the hardest part of coming home. At school, I could leave at 11 without telling a guardian and be back whenever I please. I never really make definite plans of when I’ll leave or come home anymore, and I know it drives my mom a little crazy. I love my family, but I honesty can’t wait to be able to have the freedom to come and go as I please, sans worrying about what they want me to do or when they need me home. Now that I know how it feels, I definitely can’t wait to have it back.
Looking back now, I did a lot of unnecessary stressing last summer over a year that ended up being one of the best years of my life at a place that ended up becoming my home away from home. My concerns were definitely reasonable, but I can honestly say that I am nothing but ecstatic this summer to be heading back to school at the end of August.
