What’s Up, 2012?
Bill Vaughn once said, “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” Well, Bill Vaughn, I am both a pessimist and an optimist. My first semester at Missouri S&T has been very frustrating, to say the least.
To understand my New Year’s resolution, I think it only makes sense to explain the ups and downs of the previous year. Academically, I think college is decent. It’s very similar to high school in the way that sometimes you get a fantastic professor who is always willing to help and other times you end up with one of those professors who make it their goal to ensure that every student miserable. But, hey, at least we are all used to that right? The class sizes, especially lecture classes, were bizarre to me at first, but, it all takes some getting used to. However, in my opinion at least, the classes were definitely not the origin of my stress.
The social part of college is what is hard for me. As an awkward eighteen year old female at a primarily male college, I find socializing to be terrifying. There are a billion clubs in which anyone is welcome to join, it’s just that initiation part, and to get over the fear of simply talking to strangers that is the scariest to me. Therefore, this semester, I focused on what I was good at- the academics. I only socialized with my boyfriend and his roommate and stayed to myself the rest of the time. Boring and awkward, I know.
This semester is going to be different. Now that that boyfriend has become an ex- boyfriend, I am forced out of my shell. I have to make new friends and I have to socialize; otherwise, I’m stuck in my dorm room, all day, studying – sounds terrible, right? Yeah, I think so too.
I can start over. I can make this school year be as fun as I want it to be- yet, keeping my grades decent. Therefore, my New Year’s resolution is simply to be more social – and hey, maybe I’ll join a club or two. So, see you later 2011 and bring it on 2012!
~Maddi Zollner 🙂