About a month ago, I left my home, my town, my friends, and my family. I traded it for an unknown journey that laid ahead. For me, the journey that laid ahead was a quest for higher education. To a certain extent, I felt guilty to leave my small town. After all, that was where I had grown up. I had friends that I had known my whole life, a lot of family and familiarity with everyone and everything. To leave, I was completely starting over.
I remember watching the “Now Leaving Banks County” sign fade away into the distance as the anxiety was building. Was I good enough to attend college? What if no one liked me? After all, I did not attend a fancy private school, my parents were not high profile professionals, and I lived on a small farm where the resemblance of civilization was 30 minutes away. Yet, I was enrolled in a private, liberal arts college that is said to be one of the top colleges in America. Maybe my application was a fluke I thought as the sign faded into the distance.
Needless to say, I did not sleep well the following night. I tossed and turned as thoughts and doubts flooded my mind. The next morning, I was mentally numb as I moved in and attend various meetings and met a variety of students, staff, and professors. The realization hit me, this was it. The idea of completely starting over was not an idea anymore, it was a reality. The loneliness hit me that night in my small 10 by 10 single dorm. I was alone.
However, the next day the feelings of loneliness quickly faded away as I timidly introduce myself to the Baltimore Volunteer Venture group and was shocked at the warm welcome I received. As names swarmed my mind, I felt that I was part of a community for the first time in my life and oddly enough it felt like my home. That is what I think makes Washington and Lee special, we are a community and openly except each other. No ideas or people are turned away because they are different. Ironically, it is the differences that make everyone similar at Washington and Lee. I was always shy in high school, but I found myself talking more than I ever had before. I was happy.
What I learned was that no one is truly ready for college and it is a learning experience. I remember getting lost multiple times and having to do my own laundry, but I was not alone. Everyone struggled in some way or another, but we struggled together. The homesickness, workload, and anxiety brought us closer together as a group. In many ways, my hall feels like my family and as the weeks continue to pass we learn more not only about each other, but also about ourselves. I think the true value of college is what it teaches us about ourselves. It does not merely develop the mind, but develops character and self-understanding.
College is about finding yourself and I think I have begun my journey to do that. The comforting thing is that I am not alone. I have a large support base and that truly helps. As the journey unfolds before my eyes I am excited to see what the future holds and what I learn about myself.
