When I first decided to attend CU Boulder, the first question I was often asked by friends and family was, “Aren’t you nervous will get lost in the crowd at a big school?” Frankly, I hated this question then and still resent it to this day. I chose a large school on purpose. I chose a large school because I wanted the chance to lose myself.
My logic went something like this: If I lost myself during the first couple weeks of college, I would learn from it and become a different and perhaps better person after I inevitably managed to rediscover myself. The idea of temporarily losing yourself among a crowd is supposed to be a bad thing. I disagree with this statement.
Coming from a small town, there was a lot of pressure through out my K-12 education to succeed and do everything expected of me. People in my life often played multiple roles in our small yet close-knit community of Conifer, Colorado. So naturally, Boulder was the perfect opportunity to branch out and follow my own agendas. Here, I lost the need to be constantly self-aware of my every action. Rather than worrying about my reputation, I am able to focus on what really matters to me. I don’t mean that I go totally wild, but rather follow that stereotypical path of self-discovery.
Last Friday night is a perfect example. Instead of a frat or house party on the hill, one of my friends suggested that we go Swing Dancing at the UMC. It would have been embarrassing because of how awful my dancing skills are, except that everyone there was so down to earth and friendly. They welcomed a variety of skill levels and were just genuinely open to anyone and everyone joining in. They cared about your attitude, not your ability.
I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I just danced the night away. After a long week, it was a pretty wonderful stress reliever. There were no expectations besides just having fun.
There was something refreshing about the idea that despite a few close friends, everyone else in that room was a complete stranger. In high school, every school dance was plagued with nasty preconceptions. Everyone knew each other and didn’t want to interact with anyone out of their clique. I remember dancing alone at my senior prom. In comparison, at this event, I danced with more people than I could count. College life at a large school is inspiring because you are surrounded by literally thousands of new people who want a fresh start, just like you. The nice thing about a large school is the fact that if you don’t get along with one person, there’s a good chance you won’t even see them again. With this in mind, it means that there’s no reason to put on a facade.
Independence and anonymity are wonderful parts of college that are sadly overlooked by too many people. Overly-anxious adults might see these concepts as why young adults get in trouble. In reality, however, these are key concepts of growth for college students. Personally, these ideas have helped me to discover my passions and talents. Attending a large University is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
