I can’t even remember the girl I was three months ago. What’s even crazier is that I can’t fathom that it has been such a short time since I got to Boston University. All I remember is my complete confusion and shock when my parents left me in Warren Towers after a busy move-in day. I was lying in my new bed with my new roommate sitting next to me. Everything was just… new.
I didn’t know who I was. I had just broken up with my ex-boyfriend, had no one to call my friend, my parents were gone, and basically, I just felt alone.
Oh, how quickly that changed.
As my days started getting busier, I kept noticing the same faces. Down Commonwealth Ave, in my writing class, or even in the communal bathroom as I brushed my teeth, awkward smiles became casual conversations, and those conversations blossomed into new friendships.
I even found a new family — a group of people I never thought I would get so close to so fast — after joining the BU Treblemakers, an a cappella group. Never in my life had I met such a kind group of individuals who accepted me as their own from the very beginning.
As an introvert who gets anxious about making new friends, building connections in my first semester of college was easier than I expected. No, I haven’t connected with people to the deep level that I hope to find one day, but the incredible people I have found make me excited about those I have yet to meet.
I’ve also learned that, while I’m not lonely here, I am alone. And the truth is, I miss my family every day, but I could not be more grateful and happy to be independent. I love the idea that I have a choice — I can dress up and take myself on a solo date to Newbury Street or simply stay in my room all day if I please.
Sure, making decisions is scary. While I’m still learning to embrace such responsibility, I love living on my terms.
Finally, I’ve discovered a newfound love for the person I am and the woman I am becoming. I used to be so scared of the idea of walking around my dorm with no makeup in my pajamas, but I have found myself loving the way I look without makeup and choosing to go to class that way. Now, I’m excited to get up in the morning and get dressed up for myself, regardless of where I am going or who I am going to see.
These are small changes, I know. But each little change has made me feel more and more comfortable in my skin and I am so happy I chose BU.
I could not be more excited for what’s to come next semester!
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