Category: Freshman Focus
Welcome to College: Part 2 – Autumn, and Finding A Rhythm
I have learned to appreciate the simple beauty of our school’s lakefill, to love cloudless skies and a light breeze because they are fleeting, and to sit on the grass with a friend and talk about anything and everything.
When I was in tenth grade, they told me that we were now grownups, that we wouldn’t have to hold hands or walk in lines. But they still did roll call and had our parents fill out permission slips, and we did everything in groups. We were herded around like sheep. But that was high school. This is college now.
A few days ago, I was dropped off at Michigan Avenue on a school-sponsored trip. They didn’t take down my name, they didn’t ask for my phone number. They told us where to meet at a certain time and let us roam free…
Here, there is the mixing of grades, and you aren’t restricted to your graduation year. Class of 2018 students can become editors for school publications (holla at yo gurl) and make varsity tennis (nope, not me) but meanwhile be completely undecided and continue to be that way for the next few months or so, switching schools like snap that.
I forget that people don’t know who I am. In some ways, I get to paint a whole new picture for myself, and have established myself here as ‘Cat’.
Welcome to College: Part 1
Transitioning to College
My pre-college reflection reads like it was written ages ago, when in reality I penned this angsty train-of-thought only a few weeks ago. Much has changed since then. I’ve made it through orientation week, and am highly anticipating the start of classes.
Orientation has left me debilitated; I’ve not drank much water, nor eaten much healthy food, nor gotten much sleep. However, it’s the most fun I’ve had in a while, and I know that people will start to settle down as classes ramp up, and I will fall into some sort of routine. I don’t know what to do with all of this freedom!
I eat on a meal plan, I shower in the company of others, and I live with a roommate. What a change from the lifestyle I’d adopted over my summer. I find myself wondering if I need to make some small talk, or if silences here and there are completely okay (they most likely are).
Here I am free to make my own decisions, spend my free time as I like, and pick which classes interest me. I am much more motivated to learn, now that I have a say in which classes I take. Continue reading
A Pre-College Reflection: I Am Lonely and Bored
Waiting for college like…
I haven’t started college yet.
I am lonely, and I am bored. It seems as though everyone else has moved on to bigger and better things, and I’m still here, with every recent conversation going like this:
Person: Where are you going to college?
Me: Northwestern.
Person: Awesome! Are you excited? It gets so cold up there!
Me: Yes, I spent a small fortune on winter gear. Continue reading
11 Things to Do the Summer Before You Leave For College
1. Read classic books, and watch classic movies. Become cultured.
2. Let go of petty high school things. Make up with people you fought with, people you isolated, and start college off without something clawing at your past.
3. Clean up your social media. Delete anything that might endanger your opportunities for work opportunities, friend opportunities, etc… Continue reading
Catherine Zhang 