Hiya viewers!
From the incessant Target school supply commercials you can probably deduce that summer is in fact coming to an end. While you drown your ‘back to school’ blues in as many snow cones as you can get your hands on, remember that the new school year is a really exciting time. It has all of the great parts of New Year’s: new outfits, the chance to meet new people, and a clean slate for new experiences.
Your first time going away to college can be a whirl. If anything, it’s all of the feelings you ever had about back to school all at once. Part of you is mad that you can’t hang out around your house anymore watching TV, the other part of you can’t wait to see what new people you’ll meet, the classes you’ll take, and what activities you’ll get involved in.
My experience coming to Wash U as a freshmen was a hodgepodge of fear, anticipation, nausea, and contentment all at once. I knew that I would love studying architecture and that classes would be fabulous, but I was terrified to move away from home and live on my own. Luckily for me, I wasn’t alone! My freshmen floor, Lee 2, quickly became my home away from home. Living in a traditional style dorm was the best way for me to be introduced to my floor community because from day one we were encouraged to use the common spaces as avenues for getting to know one another. Early morning routines became a ritual of not just washing your face and brushing your teeth, but also silently greeting that other poor soul who had an 8:00 am class like you and freaking out when you knew they overslept (shout-out to Christina and Tobi who always made sure I made it to Writing 1 on time).
That shared space got us to develop into a really cohesive floor community. We ended up having little traditions like rolling 15 deep to eat dinner at Bear’s Den, going to different student group general body meetings to get free food, and even cooking a pre-Thanksgiving Dinner before we left for the holiday (food was a fundamental part of our community).
To all of the rising freshmen, I hope that you all know that you are joining a wonderful community at Wash U! Don’t let your fears or apprehensions stop you from being yourself in this new place. The best part of my freshmen floor was the fact that everyone was different. Our individual personalities made getting to know the other 41 freshmen a constant learning process. I got a chance to see how 41 individuals thought, lived, worked, and played. It was the best way to become part of the Wash U community. I wouldn’t trade my year on Lee 2 for anything!
happy hunting and good luck to everyone in this new school year,
Ciara
