Remember how terrified you were doing your first few weeks of college? No matter how excited you were for your new adventure, the thought of essentially starting a new life, at a new school, in a new place, with new people was nerve-wracking to say the least. It took time to figure out your environment and find where you fit in. Those first weeks are probably not an experience you're dying to relive, right?
Well, for us transfer students, we had to go through that process twice. We went through the adjustment period at our first school, but still didn't feel like we were at the right college, so after a semester or two, we packed up all our things and made another change. Round two was even more difficult because everyone else had settled in and we were no longer going through the trials and tribulations of being new as a group, like at the beginning of college.
For me, changing schools mid-year meant that I had missed most of the opportunities to enlist in on-campus clubs and activities, but was desperate to get involved in something that would allow me to meet people. One of my best friends from home, Landon Montgomery, had spent his first semester in college establishing a chapter of Odyssey at SUIE, and was always sending me his articles and telling me how much he loved working for the group. He suggested that I join the chapter at Rollins College, my new school, and see how I liked the work and the people involved. I reached out to our Editor-in-Chief, the amazing Jasmine Kitterman, and was brought on board within a few days of my inquiring.
It was one of my best college decisions so far. Doing something as simple as writing a weekly article and attending meetings every couple of weeks has gotten me involved on campus, in the world of current affairs, as an active voice on social media and in with a fantastic group of people.
Writing never feels like a chore because I can choose to write about whatever I feel is relevant. I'm connected to college students across the country through our shared communication outlet, and love exchanging ideas and opinions with fellow Odyssey writers. And while I haven't gotten the chance to get to know my Rollins Odyssey team as well as I'd like just yet, it's awesome just to have friends to wave to across campus or laugh about politics within a group text.
So whether you're a new, looking to be more involved at your college, or wanting to make some new friends, look into joining your school's chapter of Odyssey!