So before I go to sleep, I figured I would take a moment to reflect on the last 8 months. I arrived at Gonzaga University as a freshman and knew absolutely no one. Like no one. At all. Basically, I was a little loner. But next thing I knew I was meeting people and making friends. Now here I am, at the end of my freshman year and I can't believe how far I've come, how many friends I have made and how much fun I've had.
Lets just make a quick list to realize how much things can change in less than a year;
1) I went from being an only child, to living in a dorm with 40 other freshmen girls. Sounds small, and like it wasn't much of a transition, I know. But truth is, despite how much I hated how small my dorm was by the end of the year, I think I would have hated a big dorm at the beginning of the year. Plus, I've learned how to live with others, that knocking before entering a room is a good thing no matter what time of day it is, and that we have way too much fun procrastinating.
(BTW, nothing like this ever happened, it's just too funny... Plus I love cats)
You also learn very quickly that the walls are far too thin, there are people you won't get along with and that every roommate has their flaws... Some more than others...
All in all, living in a dorm is a great experience, no matter how much you like or dislike your specific dorm. The friends you make are unforgettable and the laughs too many to count. And next thing you know, having a roommate is the best thing ever and having people to be around 24/7 is wayyy better than being at home and sitting on the couch on a Saturday night with a bowl of ice cream watching HIMYM with mom and dad.
2) At first, it may seem like you will never make friends, but by the first weekend you will be going to dinner with girls from your dorm and chances are you will have found at least one person who is willing to pretty much be your best friend. They may not be your roommate, and that's great! In my case, my roommate and I didn't really click. Like at all. But the girl two doors down and I get along great... And now we are roommates instead. The only thing better than that is having a group of friends to spend time with, and that comes with time. Next thing you know you have all new friends and while alone time is great, being with them is better.
3) Speaking of alone time... Wait... What is that again? I went from having alone time most of the time at home (I'm an only child... so that's normal for me) to never having any. Those five minutes you get alone on a Wednesday night when your roommate hasn't come back from dinner yet and all your friends are 'doing homework' are the most precious minutes of the day. Swear to God. THE BEST. You also learn quickly that if you want to get homework done, you either have to lock your door or leave the room/dorm.
For me, I'd go to the student center. But that's besides the point... It's kinda like when you want to be alone, you have to leave not only the room, but the dorm, and probably the campus too. Or take a shower... I mean, which ever fits best into your schedule.
4) One last thing that changes drastically is (at least for me) what you do on the weekends. At home, I was a total homebody. I wanted to be at home with my cat (and parents, I guess) every weekend. That's just what I did, and sometimes I would see friends. But in college that all changes. Whether you go out and get drunk every weekend, or just go to the movies, the weekends are way more fun that they probably were at home. Like, what do I do now when I go home? I don't want to sit at home on Friday nights anymore!
I can't wait to get back to college in the fall just so I can have fun again without having to ask mom and dad if I can go out.
Freshmen year here at GU made me realize just how much things can change in a year. But I wouldn't take any of it back for a moment, nor would I change where I go to school. I love this place way too much for that!
And in regards to freshman year, I think if anyone could be a college freshman again, no one would turn down the opportunity. I know I certainly wouldn't.
So now that I'm finishing the post up (It's actually 10:30am now, I got tired last night) I can't believe this year is over... But on to the next; I'm already excited to come back! And as for it being after midnight when I started this, I think it was a pretty great choice.
-Katelynn René
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