OCTOBER 2007 :: ON CAMPUS

Into the Unknown
Go Forth, Ask Questions and Prepare to Be Different

BY EMMA SLAYTON
Special to The Classroom Edition

My college career got off to a rough start. And boy am I glad.

On a late-August morning, I boarded a flight from Seattle to Los Angeles to get to the Pitzer College campus in time for the start of freshman orientation. We were all set to take off-all except for the plane, that is. Something was wrong with it, we were told. So the flight crew shuffled me and 100 or so fellow passengers off the plane and back into the terminal.

Here I was, about to embark on a four-year journey of learning and self-discovery, and I couldn't even make it out of the gate without a hitch.

Rather than read too far into it, I decided to make the best of an inconvenient situation. So when I spotted a group of kids who looked my age, I started casually eavesdropping. When I heard one say that he was moving into dorms on the 30th (the date rang a bell), I felt something akin to overwhelming excitement, with a pinch of nausea. Fighting my gut reaction to stay put and out of danger, I boldly-OK, meekly-walked over and, in a perhaps uncharted octave, squeeked: "Pitzer."

That one word turned out to be enough. I was quickly saved from further embarrassment when Nick, a member of the group and fellow Pitzerite, jumped up and gave me a high-five. Turns out that the group was heading down to the Claremont colleges for orientation, and just like that, I was one of them.

By taking that first step, I proved myself wrong. The group didn't attack me, I didn't combust. I was fine. In fact, I felt great, because I was no longer sitting alone, fearing failure. I was doing what every person must do at a certain point: stepping into the unknown and giving myself the opportunity to succeed.

I was beginning the college experience.

Questions and Answers

When I finally did arrive at Pitzer, I took a very long shower and went to a freshman meet-and-greet. After paying my respects to my traveling companions, I quickly went in search of people I hadn't already met. That's when every conversation became a volley of questions: "Where are you from?" "What's your freshman seminar?" "What dorm are you in?"

Note to people wishing to meet new people in this type of situation: Be prepared with the answers to these questions, act interested and don't be bored after you've had to restate them 50 times. There may also be awkward silences or brief bursts of conversation on any number of miscellaneous topics. Don't sweat it. While this can seem like the most terrifying part of college (except for the dining hall food), it's also one of the most important and, for me at least, the most entertaining.

If I hadn't endured this ritual, I never would have met Dori, the girl with whom I share of love of all things Israeli; or Ted, who is from North Carolina but went to a Quaker boarding school in Pennsylvania; or Maria, whose extended family lives in Mexico and who goes down south every couple of years to visit them.

After discovering so many interesting people, I stopped having to remind myself that meeting new people was worth the apprehension. It actually became fun.

Whether it's the first day of kindergarten, high school or college, it seems new students always walk around blindly until they find that one person to latch onto. In college, roommates are helpful for this. They can serve as an easy friend, and there's always the everyday business of sharing a room to keep the conversation going.

But depending too much on a roommate might also stunt a student's ability to develop and do more. Within hours of arriving at college, I had already noticed half a dozen of these "roommate buddies" fervently clinging to each other. They hadn't spoken to anyone else, and with each passing day, they were missing out on opportunities to mingle more freely. They had become so close that no one else could squeeze between them.

A Few Suggestions

For my part, I have tried to be the "anti-roommate-buddy." and look for other opportunities to meet people. Here are some suggestions I've already tried out myself to avoid the roommate-buddy syndrome:

GET TO KNOW THE NEIGHBORS. You may need them someday. Your roommate might not have a three-hole punch or know how to jimmy open your door when you've locked yourself out. So instead of spending all the time I'm not in classes with my roommate, I move down my hall and peek into open doors to say, "Hi."

I also organized a hall party. The main idea was to get the people on my floor out of their rooms and into the crammed hallway, where they would have to speak with each other, even if it's just to apologize for blocking the way.

EAT SOMEPLACE NEW. Recently, I went off campus and ate at a dining hall for a different Claremont college, and got to meet people from a different environment. Plus, they had three flavors of ice cream. Having dinner with one girl that night led to watching a movie with four later on.

ATTEND ALL STUDENT-PLANNED FUNCTIONS. They last well into the school year and are designed specifically for you to meet other people. Your roommate may be great. Mine is-don't get me wrong. But that's no reason to stay in your room and avoid meeting others. I just won't let you.

For a freshman, the newness of college seems like it will never wear off, even though I know it will. But right now, we're all in a state of metamorphosis, with a unique opportunity to change and explore at our own pace. So get ready for it.

Remember that college is about change. I went to this institution so that I could grow and become a better version of myself, an Emma Version 2.0. And there's not a single person among us who couldn't use an upgrade.