Four Years Later

With school starting up again and not having to actually go back, I’ve been reflecting on my back-to-school feelings over the past years.

I think the weirdest thing is where I was four years ago. I was a scared, lonely freshman about to start my first year of college at Oakland University with no idea what to expect. Most of my friends had just moved up to their schools, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I had no one. That feeling spiraled and lasted for months. I went to class, went to work, went home. I sat in my house day after day and just cried. I didn’t know what to do. I was sad and frustrated and didn’t fully understand why.

I have to say, if it wasn’t for one of my best friends also going to Oakland with me, I’m really not sure where I would have been. I’m thankful for her friendship during those years. For about two years, we only had each other, and it took us two whole years of college experiences down the drain to realize that we were missing out on so much. Visiting friends at other schools worked for a few weekends of the year, but it was clear neither one of us was going to end up transferring.

I can’t stress this enough: get involved. I don’t care what you do, I don’t care where you go, just join something. Anything. Whatever you’re interested in, I’m positive there’s some kind of organization on your campus that you can get involved with. There are so many doors that open up when you get involved that weren’t there before, and you’ll grow even more pride for the school you go to. That, and you’ll make a ton of friends with people you didn’t even realize you see every day.

Although at first I was pretty disappointed that I was going to Oakland U, I’ve become so happy about it. I’m so proud, not only that I attended, but also that I was able to become a leader there. With a significantly smaller amount of people involved in student organizations and Greek life, I was able to take leadership positions, start new orgs, and make a name for myself. I made so many friends, with both students and faculty, and I did it all from the comfort of my home. 😉 I saved money, through scholarships and my parents “convincing” me to stay at home, and walked out of college debt-free.

Four years ago, as my first introduction into the college world was starting, I was scared, lonely, and frustrated. Today, four years later, I’m thankful, proud, and amazed at how much can change in 4 short years. (Actually, I’m still pretty scared, lonely, and frustrated, but that’s just because of the “real world” haha) I’m ready to take on whatever is in store for me, and I have Oakland University, my friends, and my family to thank for that. So to all of you reading this, thank you.