When you're a freshman in college, there are a lot of change to be expected. If you choose to live on campus instead of commuting, then you deal with even more changes. You live in a dorm, try to get used to living on your own, balancing work and play, etc. It's hard.
As a freshman, sometimes your first semester is the toughest semester you will ever experience in your life. I know because my first semester at Monmouth was not exactly peaches and roses. When I chose Monmouth, I liked that it was a small liberal arts college, that it was in New Jersey (I grew up in Middletown New Jersey), and the fact that it was a mile away from the beach was also a major plus.
But after the first few weeks at Monmouth, I had hit a few stumbling blocks. I didn't have a lot of friends in the beginning, my roommate and I were not getting along, and my grades were suffering because of the stronger workload compared to my high school workload. I felt very alone and left out of a lot of things. As an art major, I was busy with three-hour long classes and could not attend club meetings for activities that I wanted to get involved in. I felt like I had made the wrong choice in school and that leaving would be my best option.
Then Hurricane Sandy hit and we were out of school for about two weeks while the University was being used as a safety shelter. It was nice to be home and to be surrounded by familiar things. I had a lot of time to sit down and think if I really wanted to transfer out of Monmouth. I told myself that this was just a test life was putting me through and that I should not be deterred because of a few stumbles. I made a promise to myself that I would stay for another semester and that if the second semester was as bad as the first, then I would transfer.
Thankfully, things turned around for me when I came back from our evacuation from the hurricane. I had made friends with some awesome people and I'm now living with two of my closest friends from freshman year. I learned that the professors at Monmouth care about your education and are willing to help you if you're struggling. That second semester, my schedule allowed me to get involved in clubs and activities I wanted to be involved in my first semester.
Since my freshman year, Monmouth has provided many opportunities for me that I don't think I could have gotten anywhere else. I studied abroad in London at Regents University and became a mentor for future study abroad students. I became involved with Boom Roasted Productions, the Vagina Monologues, The Monmouth Review (last semester I was able to go to L.A through the Monmouth Review for the Adobe Max Conference), The Enrollment and Publications Office, and had my art work published in my school's art magazines. I learned how to clean up my resume and portfolio so that I was able to land, not one, but two internships. I picked up a minor in Communications. I made friendships and memories that will last me a lifetime.
As my time at Monmouth comes to a close, I can honestly say I am so happy that I chose to stay and give Monmouth another shot. Now I find that I don't want to leave Monmouth as I enter my final semester.
