jeremy-85I’m here and I’m free!  At Mizzou, determined to be the best me I can be!!

Hey CSO family.  I’m checking in on the blog to let you know how it’s going with your boy: Jeremy, a rising Sophomore, at University of Missouri.  See?  I’m already thinking future forward.  It’s all in the mind people.

As a brand new student at Mizzou, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of EVERYONE!  I mean professors, college employees, other students, etc… It’s like “kumbaya” on this campus EVERYDAY. 

Now here’s the good part.  My roommate, Dre Thompson, is about the best roommate anyone could hope for.  He hails from Michigan (Spartan Country) and he’s super smart and super neat.  What do you expect from an engineering major?  Unfortunately, my roommate is not so happy with the college experience.  We are like polar opposites of each other.  I’m in love with Mizzou and Dre is not feeling the school at all.  Do I squelch my enthusiasm or do I commiserate with my roomie?  For better or worse, right?

Well, I think this is a good topic to discuss with you guys because we will encounter people in our lives who may feel differently than we do about a situation, place, person or event.  We should not project our feelings onto someone, but learn to respect them for how they feel and allow them to feel that way.  We can agree to disagree peacefully.

What I can encourage you to do is be supportive when your friend or close acquaintance is going through a rough patch.  After all, leaving home is a big deal and some people may miss family more than others will.  There will be some students you’ll meet who will not let themselves enjoy a new situation because of fear or just an unwillingness to try something new and be open about it. 

My roomie, Dre is a great guy and I’ve done my level best to cheer him up and hang out with him as much as possible.  When he gets too down, I know how to pep him up.  I am proud of my new found people skills.  This college experience is working out!  I’ll keep you posted on my roomie and let’s hope he hangs in there together.  In closing, I want you to remember to be you, do you, and help others as you pass along the way!