So… Here I am. Second semester of my senior year. It still blows my mind to say that––my senior year––but in some ways, it’s about freakin’ time. I have paid my dues, y’all. I have been the awkward freshman, the not quite-as-awkward-but-still-don’t-quite-fit-in sophomore, the I’m-better-than-the-freshmen-and-sophomores junior, and now I’m at the top of the food chain. As I walked to my one and only class this semester (that’s right, y’all, ya gurl is ~part-time~ this semester), I watched as my younger, innocent peers try to find their way to their first classes as well, I began to reflect on just how different it felt in my position as a senior.
1. I’m not in a rush anymore
So on my first first-day I remember waking up at 7 am for my 10 am class, doing my hair, doing my makeup, making sure I had every single book the syllabus said I would need, a planner, a journal, my computer, and then it was 7:45 and I just sat in Bruff for two hours anxiously awaiting my first college class… This time around I rolled up in my sweats and baseball hat, nothing but coffee and phone in hand, and right as class was supposed to start I realized my class was on the 4th floor of Newcomb and NOT in the career center where I had gone. Whoops. Freshman or sophomore me would have panicked and bolted across campus but I took a leisurely stroll, stopped home for a snack, and then rolled up about 10 minutes late. And the world didn’t end…? Weird.
2. I actually speak up
There are two types of freshmen: the ones who know when it’s cool to speak and the one’s who just like to hear their own voice. I have never been one to get shy about talking in class and I usually find myself at the front engaging in conversation, but I also knew my place and a lowerclassman. Now as I senior, I have absolutely ZERO shame talking in class, answering questions, asking questions, chatting with peers, making friends. I have nothing to lose anymore––I’m outta here soon anyway!
3. I’m not terrified
I remember first getting to school and wondering if I would fit in. I felt like everyone else had their act together and every time I screwed up by going to the wrong building, showing up late (because I went to the wrong building…?), bringing the wrong books, forgetting an assignment, etc., that I was showing I didn’t deserve to be here. Harsh, right? Newsflash: if you’re here, you probably did something that made you deserving somewhere along the line. People mess up. We forget assignments, we’re late, we order the same wrong book off of Amazon more than once for the same class (whoops)… It happens. You first week is the time to work out all the kinks but we’re all between the ages of 18 and 22. We aren’t supposed to have our lives together completely. Right?
So for all of you freshmen out there that were expecting this semester to be easier, don’t worry if you aren’t seeing it right away. It can take a while to get into the swing of things. Let me tell you though, this whole senior/SWUG/class once-a-week thing makes all of those less than stellar first days more than worth it.
(This kid gets it.)