(no subject)
I've been at Northern Illinois University since August of last year, and for the most part, I really like it here.
Truthfully, the school has a lot of faults, but I can overlook most of them. The rest I have to bury in denial and self-delusion (safety-schmafety! This is a fine institution of higher learning! I don't regret coming here at all!).
Despite the school's problems, being here provides me with a sense of freedom and independence that I'm still not fully accustomed to, but grateful for. Living away from home and being completely responsible myself has been both a frightening and exciting experience. Fortunately, I've acquired a number of friends who've made adjusting to semi-adulthood all the easier.
Monday was my birthday, and while I'd jokingly hinted to friends about it weeks prior, I really wasn't looking forward to turning 23. I didn't expect much to happen and had every intention to treat the day like any other (though, I did dress up a bit for the occasion). But, lo and behold, everywhere I went I found people wishing me a happy birthday and giving me gifts and trinkets. It ended up being one of the nicest birthdays I had in a long time.
It got me thinking a lot, too. Throughout my college career I've really struggled with accepting the fact that things didn't really go the way I'd originally planned. Many of my classmates from high school have already completed their bachelor's degrees and are going about the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, I'm still in university, striving to graduate by next spring. Over the years I've been trying to embrace "slow and steady wins the race" as my mantra, but it hasn't been easy. If I allow myself to think too deeply about where I am in my life, I get pretty sad.
But by Monday's end I acquiesced that perhaps this is just where I need to be right now. If I had done everything "on time" I wouldn't have met the people that I've befriended or had the experiences that have made this whole college thing enjoyable. I mean, I'm sure I would've made other friends and had other experiences, but they wouldn't have been the same.
I really cherish the spontaneous sing-a-longs in the floor lounge, the long talks I have with my roommate, and the crazy, unplanned misadventures I find myself falling into every other day. They're things I'm sure I'll never forget.
Truthfully, the school has a lot of faults, but I can overlook most of them. The rest I have to bury in denial and self-delusion (safety-schmafety! This is a fine institution of higher learning! I don't regret coming here at all!).
Despite the school's problems, being here provides me with a sense of freedom and independence that I'm still not fully accustomed to, but grateful for. Living away from home and being completely responsible myself has been both a frightening and exciting experience. Fortunately, I've acquired a number of friends who've made adjusting to semi-adulthood all the easier.
Monday was my birthday, and while I'd jokingly hinted to friends about it weeks prior, I really wasn't looking forward to turning 23. I didn't expect much to happen and had every intention to treat the day like any other (though, I did dress up a bit for the occasion). But, lo and behold, everywhere I went I found people wishing me a happy birthday and giving me gifts and trinkets. It ended up being one of the nicest birthdays I had in a long time.
It got me thinking a lot, too. Throughout my college career I've really struggled with accepting the fact that things didn't really go the way I'd originally planned. Many of my classmates from high school have already completed their bachelor's degrees and are going about the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, I'm still in university, striving to graduate by next spring. Over the years I've been trying to embrace "slow and steady wins the race" as my mantra, but it hasn't been easy. If I allow myself to think too deeply about where I am in my life, I get pretty sad.
But by Monday's end I acquiesced that perhaps this is just where I need to be right now. If I had done everything "on time" I wouldn't have met the people that I've befriended or had the experiences that have made this whole college thing enjoyable. I mean, I'm sure I would've made other friends and had other experiences, but they wouldn't have been the same.
I really cherish the spontaneous sing-a-longs in the floor lounge, the long talks I have with my roommate, and the crazy, unplanned misadventures I find myself falling into every other day. They're things I'm sure I'll never forget.