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TEEN
CENTER :: COLLEGE CENTER :
FRESHMAN JOURNAL
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| Freshman
Journal returns with all-new entries from Ashley Sawyer, a freshman
at Rutgers University. |
FRESHMAN
JOURNAL: MAY
17, 2007
'I
Would Not Trade My First-Year
Experiences for Anything'
'When I
started preparing for final exams, and packing to go home, I
was still sort of oblivious to the idea that this was the end.
A year that started off with so much excitement and transition
was coming to a close, and I still could not believe that the
time had gone so quickly. I was shocked by my own accomplishments
and my ability to start all over again and adapt to my new situation.
I know there is a lot more ahead of me, new challenges and lessons
to learn, but I must commend myself for the year that has just
passed, I also have to examine my triumphs and failures.'
READ
MORE |
FRESHMAN
JOURNAL: APRIL
17, 2007
'The
Freshman 15 Was Real, and It Was Happening to Me'
'"Wow, we're
so proud of you and glad that you're enjoying college, but my,
my, did you put on weight Ashley?" I stared in disbelief as
this backward compliment came from the mouths of several of
the women from my church. In my mind, I responded with "My,
my, do you have a few more grey hairs?" Or perhaps an "Of course
Mrs. So and So, I have put on weight, but looks like you've
done the same." However, never would I let such a rude response
come out of my mouth, but I could not hide it in my face that
my size had, shall we say, adjusted since I started college.'
READ
MORE |
FRESHMAN
JOURNAL: MARCH
14, 2007
'I'll
Do It Tomorrow'
'I decided
it is time to start making nursing home arrangements for my
very dear friend, Procrastination. She had lots of nicknames
in her prime: "Give me five more minutes mom" and "I'll do it
tomorrow." We became friends when I was in seventh or eighth
grade, and I must say she's been loyal to the end.'
READ
MORE |
FRESHMAN
JOURNAL: FEBRUARY
13, 2007
'Money
Doesn't Grow On Trees'
'At the end
of my first semester in college and as I prepared for my second
semester, I began to fully understand the ways in which money
seemed to be pouring out of my pocket. Everywhere I go, I spend
money, and everywhere I turn I have some new school-related
expense. It all begins with textbooks.' READ
MORE |
FRESHMAN
JOURNAL: JANUARY
11, 2007
'There
Is Nothing Wrong With Changing the Plan'
'We always
have this dream of how we perceive ourselves in five, 10 or
15 years, but it is rare that we factor in where life's twist
and turns might take us. Personally, when I was 5, I expected
to be a doctor on Mondays, a teacher on Tuesdays, a model on
Wednesdays, a singer on Thursdays and an actress on Fridays.
When I got a little older I realized to change careers every
day would be too difficult and most people stick to one or two
careers per lifetime.' READ
MORE |
FRESHMAN
JOURNAL: DECEMBER
8, 2006
The
Same, but Different
'Are you going home for Thanksgiving?" was the message on my
cellphone from several of my high school friends. Not only was
it a new feeling to be away from these people that I have known
for so long-people who at one point I was accustomed to seeing
on a daily basis-but it also is ironic to be calling them my
"high school friends". They were once just my friends, without
the prefix, and now that are vestiges of a younger me at a different
stage in my life.' READ
MORE |
FRESHMAN
JOURNAL: NOVEMBER
6, 2006
Find
Your Voice as a Freshman
'At a recent meeting I attended, the secretary of the organization
asked, "Does anyone have any questions or comments?" She glanced
around the meeting room, making friendly eye contact with everyone,
however when she reached me the look she gave read, "Not you
freshman; you keep your mouth shut." It is the unwritten rule
on campus. Seen through certain on-campus organizations and
sometimes in the classroom is the silent hierarchy that reigns.
Even groups that claim to be welcoming and actively searching
for new members in reality are searching for new mimes, freshmen
to sit in the room and make the organization seem larger but
not dare to have an opinion of their own, let alone speak up
about it.' READ
MORE
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FRESHMAN
JOURNAL: OCTOBER
5, 2006
Am I Even in New Jersey Anymore?
'It creeps up on you in the dining hall or in a lecture hall
that contains what feels like 10,000 strange new people. It's
that nauseating feeling that makes you realize you're not
in Kansas anymore. As much as you may have tried to recreate
it with pictures of family and friends, this place is not
home and the people are not the same. It is in the lingo,
the political views, the style of dress, the types of music,
the morals and the everyday practices that I am beginning
to realize are dramatically different from one place to the
next.' READ
MORE
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FRESHMAN
JOURNAL: AUGUST
29, 2006
Transition Anxiety
'I decided to look at beginning college life the same way I
did high school: with excitement. And even though this time
I won't have the pleasure of taking my closest friends from
middle school with me, I always have MySpace and Facebook. I
reassure myself with constant reminders that my parents and
brother are always only a text message away, and technology
will bridge the gaps in distance between us. Whenever I come
home even with all the changes that might have taken place,
my family will still be my family' READ
MORE
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Freshman
Journal Archives, 2004-05
Julia Choe, Harvard University
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MAY
30, 2006
'Freshman Year
Was Incredible'
The saddest part of leaving freshman year, I think, is the realization
that so many first experiences are gone. There is so much excitement
surrounding each event freshman year, and I'm afraid that after
this year, it will never again be as much fun. But then again,
maybe I can actually begin to appreciate the different aspects
of college life if I am not so dazzled by their newness.
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MAY
1, 2006
Red
Folders
This is the
time when hundreds of soon-to-be freshmen descend on campus,
crowd the dining halls, and cause general inconvenience to students
everywhere. Listening to my fellow freshmen complain about tripping
over the clueless pre-frosh, I smile, considering that exactly
one year ago, we were in that exact same position. Yet at the
same time, so much of me has changed that I can hardly think
of myself as the same person I was one year ago.READ
MORE
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APRIL
1 , 2006
'Chicken Soup'
A sign of
true friendship comes in the form of hot chicken noodle soup.
When a person is willing to venture into a dorm room inhabited
by sickness just to make sure a friend is well, there can be
no question of the strength of that friendship ... With my health
regained, I've come to the obvious, yet significant, realization
that life in college without friends would be truly insufferable--and
possibly even dangerous for the health. READ
MORE
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FEBRUARY
27, 2006
'A Government-Economics
Concentrator'
There's a lot of segregation in college--and I'm not talking
race. Choosing a major during college has become more than just
one's field of study. It has come to define a person as a whole.
READ
MORE
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JANUARY
30, 2006
Sunny
Skies, Green Grass
What if I
had chosen the wrong school? What if the school I should have
gone to was just in front of me, and instead I chose to fly
across the country in search of some greater institution that
didn’t exist? READ
MORE
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DECEMBER
21, 2005
Too
Bad
For those people who envision their lives becoming incredibly
relaxing after they finish their SAT prep and college application,
I have bad news. College…is… hard.READ
MORE
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NOVEMBER
28, 2005
Tailgating
and Turkeys
Who I am
and where I'm from are no longer constant. Every day, my identity
as defined by my surrounding seems to change. And every day,
I become more and more attached to my college self, and my previous
home becomes farther away. READ
MORE
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OCTOBER
2 , 2005
An
Unresolved Question
The only idea that remains constant throughout the days is that
everything I do here is all determined by me. I guess that's
why my parents, along with most adults in the world, sigh and
wax nostalgic when they think of college. I can't imagine a
time when a person could be as independent (and as irresponsible)
as now. On the other hand, I can't think of a time when there
are more possibilities for me to learn and develop into anyone
I want. READ
MORE
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SEPTEMBER
2 , 2005
The Things
We Carry
Tomorrow, I will be able to see how well I can
function independently in a new environment. I will be able
to meet people with completely different backgrounds from mine,
talk to amazing professors, and take class in the halls older
than I am. In short, college will be a collection of experiences
that I never could experience without making this leap away
from home. READ
MORE
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Freshman
Journal Archives, 2004-05:
By Abha S. Bhattarai, Northwestern University
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JUNE
21, 2005
An Empty House
I had an early morning flight, so I said a few of my
goodbyes the night before and the rest at 5 a.m. as the cab
was waiting outside. It was a bittersweet moment at the time,
but looking back on it, there's nothing too sad about being
away from college for three months. I'll miss my friends, but
at the same time, I've missed my friends from home too. Evanston
and Austin both feel like home to me now. READ
MORE
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MAY
17, 2005
'Persian Enough'
I'm still not dying to see a Nepali family every weekend,
but I feel like I'm definitely a lot more aware and proud of
my heritage. Whereas I would've tried anything to stay home
from cultural parties and celebrations when I was in middle
school and high school, I've looked forward to going to the
couple of Nepali events I've attended here. READ
MORE
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APRIL
14, 2005
'Avoid
Brightly Colored Nail Polish'
Many of my friends are going to be spending their
summers interning in Washington D.C. or in New York. The rest
are going to be busy working or taking summer courses. From
now on, my summers are going to be a glimpse into my future
after college - working 9 to 5, worrying about how much money
I can save, not being around the friends I grew up with.READ
MORE
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MARCH
11, 2005
Pass the Kleenex
I woke up with a throbbing pain in my legs that made it
difficult to even roll over in bed. I had a fever, and not knowing
what to do, I called my mom and then the local hospital. I'd
been out dancing at the dorm formal for hours the night before,
and I was stuck in bed with another reason to call the doctor.
Even the fun things in college had become dangerous. READ
MORE
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FEBRUARY
16, 2005
Learning to Be Patient
Like many students, I came to Northwestern unrealistically
expecting something like a lineup on The Bachelorette.
I figured I would have no problem picking from a group of guys
who were smart, attractive and funny. Instead, I feel like I'm
stuck in an episode of Average Joe. READ
MORE
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JANUARY
11, 2005
Missing
Pieces
The
biggest mistake I'd made my first quarter was that I'd more
or less confined myself to my suite. I'd written a few articles
for the student newspaper and ventured out to the city every
now and then, but I hadn't followed through with any of the
student organizations I'd signed up for or attempted to fulfill
the kind of leadership roles I was used to in high school. My
high school experience was defined by a list of extracurricular
activities and leadership positions. Without that, I felt pretty
insignificant among 8,000 other students - and that's where
Greek life fit in. READ
MORE
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DECEMBER
9 , 2004
A
Lot Has Changed
I'd
expected the memory of my trip home for Thanksgiving to leave
me miserably nostalgic for the two weeks I had to be back at
Northwestern before Christmas. I'd already prepared a new countdown
for my trip home in December before Thanksgiving had ended.
I rationalized that, if nothing else, leaving Texas and going
to college so far away from home has been worth it just for
the excitement of going back. I've never been that excited about
going home, and I doubt that I ever will be again.
READ
MORE
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NOVEMBER
8 , 2004
Completely
Off-Track
Everyone
else around me seems to be experimenting with techniques for
staying focused. Some work in the lounge with headphones,
others in their rooms with the door closed, and some go to
the library. I've yet to find a niche for my studying on campus.
My room is too distracting, the lounge too social, and the
library too quiet. I've learned to just force myself to work,
and I've learned to factor in distractions when managing my
time. READ
MORE
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OCTOBER
3, 2004
Name-Hometown-Major
It's still
a little difficult for me to fully understand that I'm actually
in college. Dorm-life still feels like summer camp, and there
are times when I find myself thinking that I'll be home in a
few more weeks, as soon as this vacation ends and things go
back to normal. But the reality is that I won't. Instead, I'll
go home for the vacations, and then return to my "normal
life" on campus. READ
MORE
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SEPTEMBER
1, 2004
A
Restless Summer
It's been a restless summer, where I've had to deal with the
knowledge that I'm leaving my home after 18 years. There's an
unspoken pressure to make the best of everything, whether it's
hanging out with my friends, or spending time with my family,
because it'll all be gone after a few weeks. READ
MORE |
|
Freshman
Journal Archives, 2002-03
By Caitlin J. Noris, University of Pittsburgh |
| A
New Beginning |
|
Big Kid Sleep-Away
Camp |
| Dorm
Life Is a Blessing in Disguise |
|
Protecting Yourself
From Abuse |
| The
More I Change, the More I Stay the Same |
| The
First Trip Home |
| Good
to Be Back at Work |
| Fraternities
and Sororities |
| Doing
My Part for Democracy |
| It's
Over? Already? |
| Ten
Things I Wish I Knew |
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