Well, here we go—dorm cozy with the excessive, seemingly important stuff I could barely fit into my car, parents presumably sniffling on the way back home, faces of students that are unfamiliar; college has begun. For the past year, this very experience has consumed me. It has eaten late into the night, demanding that I study for this exam or that test. It has required constant care, requesting triple and quadruple checks to see that my application is complete with all of your activities and accolades. It has controlled conversation with family and friends. I am now going to live it.
As I stroll around campus, I cannot help but feel inferior. The realization that I am surrounded by some of the smartest minds of the country, and world for that matter, consumes me. Am I really in the right place? Am I going to ever be able to keep up with the demandingly rigorous coursework and study material? Am I going to enjoy any of this? Am I rea—
My thoughts are cut off as I am hit with something at my foot. “Well, are you going to join or just stand there all day?” says an unfamiliar face. Off on the quad, a group of students are all staring at me. “Heck yea,” I respond, with a few juggles and kick of the soccer ball.
Convocation come as the conclusion of this first day. A nervous air falls over the auditorium as everyone takes their seats next to fresh individuals, awkwardly trying to keep conversation before the ceremony begins. We all quiet down as the president of our school makes his appearance. His words instill inspiration in me, as I think about the future.
We walk back to our dorms in the mild, late summer air. I can feel fall just around the corner. As I make it through my dorm’s common room, I can see my entire floor assembled, uncontrollably laughing at the raw and hysterical Cards Against Humanity. I hop in on the fun, and take a dose of the hilarity. After hours of play, I go back to my room and drift off to sleep.
I cannot help but smile now. How silly I was just before. This is going to be fantastic.