“Hi, my name is Stephen, and I am an incoming freshman.” Many high school seniors, like myself, who are about to embark on their college journeys refer to themselves as one, but what does this mean, and why should you care?
How I see it, an incoming freshman is a person who’s already seemingly chaotic life will be flipped upside down as they start all over again and prepare to face college head on. They are typically excited for their new beginnings, but they will have their comfort levels tested and they will be put into new and unique situations. I know that my time at college will be full of endless opportunities. I am ecstatic to begin, but I will be the first to admit that my life leading up to orientation and move in day will be like watching a reality TV show.
I am about to face a slew of pre-college jitters and challenges, but I will not be facing them alone. I will be joined by practically every incoming college freshman, because let’s face it; we are all a little bit unsure about the road ahead. Not many people are willing to share their thoughts and emotions with an audience of readers, but I am prepared to put my personal life on display in hopes that my honest approach and personality can put a humorous spin on the thoughts and feelings of an incoming freshman.
My graduation was marked by a multitude of people crying. So many tears were produced that it seemed like Poland Springs could have made some serious money. One of my biggest fears was that after graduation, I would never see my friends again. I could tell that I wasn’t the only one with that thought, because all of my friends were saying goodbye as if they were boarding the last lifeboat on the Titanic and leaving their loved ones behind.
My friends are of the utmost importance to me. They give me strength, energy, and always make me smile. I didn’t spend a large portion of my life getting to know people just to say goodbye and never see them again. That is why I plan to stay in touch with them. The age old saying that “If you love them, you have to let them go,” does not apply to this situation.
If you are stressing about losing your friends from high school like I was, take a deep breath and listen up. We live in a very high tech society where we are all enabled to stay in constant contact. Unless you live under a rock, you likely have access to a phone or a computer. You have to try extremely hard in this day and age to lose contact with someone.
My best friends and I realized that as the holiday season draws near, every college has a winter break around the same time. Since we all have similar vacation schedules, we decided to meet on New Year’s Eve for a reunion of sorts. I’m fine with communicating by phone or computer, but I really am relieved to have a plan set in stone that guarantees me a chance to meet up with my old friends face to face.
When I am at college, I know there will be moments where I miss my friends, but I won’t be caught in the doldrums. I know that I have an arsenal of funny memories to look back upon to make me laugh. I can recall the silly moments where we would make weird noises at each other in the hallways, our locker hangout sessions that resembled tiny powwows, how our sleep deprivation caused by an overload of AP work made talking grammatically correct almost impossible, crazy senior prom dance offs, and so much more.
I believe that college is the time for us to make a name for ourselves, harness our full potential, leave a lasting impact on the world, and make each day count. It is also a time for new beginnings. I know that I have to be open to change and accept it as a normal part of my life. I am very excited to make new friends and cannot wait to begin my new life at Franklin Pierce.
You should cherish the time that you have left with your friends before college begins. Embrace the fact that you will meet new friends, but never forget the old ones.
Stephen Keimig,
Freshman Blogger
Congrats on your first blog! You’re obviously not alone. I’ve got the jitters already.
Great first post! Wonderful read. Looking forward to following future posts.
Steve why are you so adorable? This is wonderful.
Great story: Last year, a few weeks into school, I met two roommates who were absolutely BEST friends. At some point someone asked them how long they had been friends (expecting something like middle school). The answer? “Since move-in day.”
Great story: The guys across the hall from me ended up as perfect roommates. Unlike the first story this actually ended up being bad for me though because they drank daily, always smelled like marijuana, and blasted their bad music.
Horror story: Freshmen year one of my friends in my unit got paired with someone who she did not get along with. The other girl was inconsiderate and always moody etc. After a few months basically everyone hated her. They tried to “work out their differences” as the school suggested, but nothing came of that.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU NEW STUDENTS!!!