TEEN CENTER :: COLLEGE CENTER :: FRESHMAN JOURNAL

November 2003

It's the Little Things
That Make It Exciting

By Matthew Berkowitz
Syracuse University

Your life turns upside-down when you enter the university campus. Never before had I pondered the fact that I would be spending more time hours studying for class than actual time in class. Nor did I think about doing my laundry. With college comes responsibility. Worst of all, how would I be able to wake up for class with only an alarm clock instead of my mother!

I am Matthew Berkowitz, a freshman studying Television, Radio, and Film in the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University in New York. Living my previous 18 years in Miami, Florida, I took the 26 hour drive with my father to the university. In these 26 hours, I looked back at my childhood, which college certainly marks the end of, and contemplated the future. Being the only attendee of Syracuse University from my graduating class at Coral Reef Senior High, I left everything and everyone behind, preparing for a new beginning.

I often look back at my “childhood” years and all the hard work I did to get where I am. The incessant tests that deprived me of my Saturday morning sleep-ins, the massive pile of college applications and their essays that forced me to use every region of my brain, and, of course, waking up and being able to function Monday through Friday in the early hours of the morning for high school. It is when I look back that I realize every moment was worth it.

Being the typical male student, I did not speak with my roommate before arriving in Syracuse. This lack of communication left me thinking of every option possible of living with a new person. I wondered how things would hold up with a lack of privacy, how we would get along and whether we share the same interests. This lead to quite the headache, but luckily, we coexist quite well.

It is the little things that make college such a phenomenal experience. The first time I had to do the laundry, I realized I did not have the foggiest idea how to operate the achinery. So I had the nearest girl help me out. While it was a blow to my ego, it was definitely a perfect way to pick up girls. Whether it is trying to get into a party, meeting new people and learning new cultures, staying up till at least 3 A.M. every night, or operating the washer/dryer combo, you always have an exciting day at the university.

While it may seem to be very difficult to study for numerous hours a day, it is quite easy. I was not one to study in my K-12 years because the work simply did not interest me, and I was constantly exhausted. Now that I choose my own classes, and can even choose my time schedule (Nothing before 10 A.M.) I have been able to “step up to the plate” and earn solid grades. When you are interested in something, it is easy to do the work. College is about expanding your interests, and learning how to use your talents.

The responsibility that comes with attending a university is not too difficult. Sure you have to fend for yourself, but you are also granted the opportunity to have the greatest four years of your life. While the classes can be tolling, it is best to look at them as a great way to kill-time between the weekends.

College is a new chapter in life. The way you write it is your choice, but the pages ahead are blank, with a sea of opportunities lying ahead.

Until next time,
Matthew Berkowitz