Back to School
I was in my exercise class on Wednesday morning (at 5:20 a.m., no less), and one of my fellow classmates asked the instructor when her son was going to college. At first, the instructor seemed a bit depressed and sad that her son was going to be moving away for the school year. And I thought to myself, “Did my parents really miss me when I left for college?” It seemed hard for me to fathom, since I was the last child of the family to leave home. Also, since there is a big age gap between my siblings and I, my parents had to wait a long time before they had a child-free home. In fact, it really wasn’t a child-free home because I lived with parents again in the summertime.
The instructor’s mood seemed to brighten when she talked about the shopping trip she and her son took and how different it was to shop with her son, in comparison to her daughter. It took her daughter over five trips just to buy a backpack, while her son didn’t think he’d need to buy any laundry detergent because he’d be coming home for Thanksgiving. I’ve probably revealed too much at this point about someone who is nearly a perfect stranger, but hearing her talk about college reminded me of my college days with fondness.
I packed for UNI in the summer of 1990, and I was actually dragging me feet regarding the whole college experience. At one point, I told my mother that I was thinking about working for a couple of years before going to college. My mother’s face turned fierce, and she said, “You’re going!” In fact, I think I was so reluctant that she actually did most of the packing for me. I know that she was afraid if I didn’t attend college right after I graduated high school, I would never go, and now that I’m an adult, I realize how much harder it would be to try to work full-time and attend college. Many people who “put off” college never go.
My first dose of reality was actually purchasing the cleaning supplies, snacks, and toiletries I would need for college. Perhaps I lived a sheltered life, but I never had to buy my own fabric softener, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, etc. with my own money before. I nearly fainted at the cash register when my bill reached over $100. Necessities are expensive!
Unlike a lot of college kids these days, all of my stuff fit into the family car. I took a radio/tape player and clothes. That was all I had. Later, I acquired some carpet, a loft, a chair, and took my family's "extra" tiny black and white TV, but the first year I didn't have much. I shudder to remember our dorms were not air conditioned the entire four years I attended college, either, so I did bring a fan, too.
I was sharing a room with a sophomore, and we exchanged a few letters over the course of the summer, and she seemed cool. When I moved in (up four flights of stairs with no elevator on a blazing hot day), it was apparent that she had already moved in, but had gone out. I unpacked the few things I had and then lay down on my bed.
I really wondered what the fuck I had done. I had no car and home was about four hours away. My high school graduating class was around 70 people. I knew everyone and everyone knew me. I had moved to a campus of 13,000 to 14,000 people, and I knew absolutely no one. Not a single person from my graduating class was attending UNI. I was filled with regret. I wondered why I didn't just stay home and attend the local community college. Or why didn't I at least choose a college where I might know someone? What if I couldn't even pass my classes? What if my small-school education didn't prepare me for a university?
Eventually, I fell asleep and woke to the sounds of my roommate unpacking. I'm sure at first she was quiet, but eventually she began closing doors and drawers a little more noisily to wake me up so we could talk. And to be honest, once my roommate and I started talking, I never regretted my decision to go to UNI again. Ever. It honestly was the most fun years of my life so far-- Little responsibility and a lot of freedom. And the best part was that I knew how great it was when I was there and enjoyed it to the fullest.
The instructor’s mood seemed to brighten when she talked about the shopping trip she and her son took and how different it was to shop with her son, in comparison to her daughter. It took her daughter over five trips just to buy a backpack, while her son didn’t think he’d need to buy any laundry detergent because he’d be coming home for Thanksgiving. I’ve probably revealed too much at this point about someone who is nearly a perfect stranger, but hearing her talk about college reminded me of my college days with fondness.
I packed for UNI in the summer of 1990, and I was actually dragging me feet regarding the whole college experience. At one point, I told my mother that I was thinking about working for a couple of years before going to college. My mother’s face turned fierce, and she said, “You’re going!” In fact, I think I was so reluctant that she actually did most of the packing for me. I know that she was afraid if I didn’t attend college right after I graduated high school, I would never go, and now that I’m an adult, I realize how much harder it would be to try to work full-time and attend college. Many people who “put off” college never go.
My first dose of reality was actually purchasing the cleaning supplies, snacks, and toiletries I would need for college. Perhaps I lived a sheltered life, but I never had to buy my own fabric softener, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, etc. with my own money before. I nearly fainted at the cash register when my bill reached over $100. Necessities are expensive!
Unlike a lot of college kids these days, all of my stuff fit into the family car. I took a radio/tape player and clothes. That was all I had. Later, I acquired some carpet, a loft, a chair, and took my family's "extra" tiny black and white TV, but the first year I didn't have much. I shudder to remember our dorms were not air conditioned the entire four years I attended college, either, so I did bring a fan, too.
I was sharing a room with a sophomore, and we exchanged a few letters over the course of the summer, and she seemed cool. When I moved in (up four flights of stairs with no elevator on a blazing hot day), it was apparent that she had already moved in, but had gone out. I unpacked the few things I had and then lay down on my bed.
I really wondered what the fuck I had done. I had no car and home was about four hours away. My high school graduating class was around 70 people. I knew everyone and everyone knew me. I had moved to a campus of 13,000 to 14,000 people, and I knew absolutely no one. Not a single person from my graduating class was attending UNI. I was filled with regret. I wondered why I didn't just stay home and attend the local community college. Or why didn't I at least choose a college where I might know someone? What if I couldn't even pass my classes? What if my small-school education didn't prepare me for a university?
Eventually, I fell asleep and woke to the sounds of my roommate unpacking. I'm sure at first she was quiet, but eventually she began closing doors and drawers a little more noisily to wake me up so we could talk. And to be honest, once my roommate and I started talking, I never regretted my decision to go to UNI again. Ever. It honestly was the most fun years of my life so far-- Little responsibility and a lot of freedom. And the best part was that I knew how great it was when I was there and enjoyed it to the fullest.