College Chronicles

September 23, 2016

So I moved in. My university’s dorm move-in process is a two day ordeal; students have an assigned date and time in which they are able to move into their dorms. Mine was on the 23rd, at 8:30 am. 

I expected it to be really busy and hectic, it was actually really smooth and easy (possibly because we got there half an hour earlier). There were students volunteers with large cart who would help families carry their stuff up to their dorms. We had about a cart and half of stuff to carry up to my dorm room, which sounds like a lot, but we actually had a lot more space left over than I thought. According to the volunteer that helped us move in, it takes some families three heaping car-fulls to move all their belongings into the dorm. 

I actually had enough space to fit the small shelf I wanted so I ended up getting that, along with another storage bin. 

I rented a microfridge from Collegiate Concepts but one of the front feet were missing so I couldn’t open the fridge door properly. My dad put some castors on to elevate the fridge properly until they cane come and fix it. But other than that everything was okay. 

My roommate is really nice. I met her briefly while I was moving in, but in that time she was really friendly and considerate. I think we’ll get along well, although I think I’d be the likelier to become the annoying roommate, so I’ve got to be careful of that. 

Overall, moving was a pretty great experience. No wait and really not as hard and stressful as I thought it would be. Even shopping was easy. Washington has a lot of big brand stores so it was easy to do a lot of my dorm shopping in one store. 

Farewell to a Home | September 17, 2016

It’s weird to say goodbye to a place where you were born and raised. It’s temporary, but even so, I’ve never been away from home for such a long time.

The reality of college hasn’t sunk in yet–nothing seems real. I don’t feel like I’m going to be starting college in merely a week and a half, and even though my brain knows that this is happening, it’s like the rest of me doesn’t.

I’m riddled with nerves. At first I was excited to go off and live in a new environment–a place so different from the small community I grew up in--but now I'm scared and nervous, partly because I'm going to be living on my own for the first time but largely because I have to acclimate myself to this new, sort of foreign community and make friends if I don't want to spend the next four years alone.

I’m scared, because I know I’ll be in for some major culture shock and I’m not good with change, especially drastic changes, but it’s all part of the experience. There are so many unknowns and I don’t know anything about this new place, which makes me nervous. What if I don’t fit in? What if I don’t make friends? What if I make a fool of myself? Things like that all make me anxious and I’m terrified having to go home because I couldn’t make it in a big university. 

The one thing I miss the most right now is my friends. Three months is a long time to be away from my friends, for me at least. It’s been less than 24 hours, but not seeing them feels a lot different from knowing that you can’t see them. 

I’m off to Oregon for a few days to help my sister move into her new apartment, but I’ll be up in Washington in half a week or so. The circumstances of the move haven’t been great so far, but we’re doing out best. 

I’m so, so, scared. But this is something I need to do. College is coming for me, whether I’m ready or not. 

I’m starting a college blog.

I’m not doing it to garner attention, fame, or even become a studyblr. No, this is going to be a place for me to talk about college and my life while I’m in college openly and honestly. It’s a space meant for me, but if someone along the way happens to finds comfort or reassurance in my experiences, then I’m so glad to share this space with them. 

Truthfully, I’m terrible with talking about my feelings. I talk and talk and talk, but I’m so uncomfortable talking about the things that can make me vulnerable to another person.

It’s so hard for me to trust others enough to share my private feelings aloud. But I’m a writer, so writing is how I express my thoughts and feelings. And that’s how I’m choosing to chronicle this experience. 

I promise to try to be honest, but just for security and general privacy purposes I shouldn’t disclose my name--at least not right now. 

So hi, my name is AUX. I graduated from XHS nearly four months ago, and now in less than a month, I will be attention the University of X. 

It’s an important move for me, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I’ll be leaving my small hometown and bidding some of my closest childhood friends goodbye as I hop on a plane and pursue the bigger city, but I’m ready. 

I’m so excited and I’m thankful to be blessed with such an opportunity, but I’m so scared. So, so scared.