Over the past summer I decided to transfer schools, and as soon as my fall tuition was paid, I immediately regretted my decision and wished I was going back to Colby. Throughout my freshman year, I was the queen of seeing the glass half empty. If it snowed, I failed to see how pretty and magical Colby is with a fresh coat of white powder, and instead focused on my fingers and toes becoming increasingly numb with every additional second I spent outdoors. If I went into Waterville, I complained about the lack of a college town, rather than realizing that plenty of colleges are in the middle of nowhere and this was doing great things for my wallet. After making a conscious decision to focus on the positive, it was so much easier to see the things I took for granted at Colby, which I accumulated over several teary phone calls with my mom over this past semester.
Colby’s Size – Last year, I walked around Colby complaining that it was so small it felt like I was at boarding school. Now, I couldn’t be happier about the small, cozy feel of the school. It is so comforting to constantly see people you know. It’s much easier to make friends when you can’t help but run into people over and over. As a Colby student, it is often hard to imagine what a 300-person lecture is like, but let me tell you, they exist and they are not cozy, fun, or welcoming.
The Professors – At larger schools, many professors don’t know students’ names and don’t have the time to help you revise an essay or review before the midterm. At Colby, all my professors know my name and some even have had my class over for dinner. One of my professors said, “Most Colby professors want to be your friend, not just your professor.” This is not the norm at most schools and I guarantee it will continue to enrich my academic experience over the next two years.
The Campus – Sooo Colby has a really pretty campus and I am pretty embarrassed that I only recently came to this realization. Not all campuses have the view we do from Miller steps….. Remember that.
The Location – Ok, hear me out on this one. Let me tell you, Augavegas certainly is not my idea of heaven on Earth and this is definitely the aspect that I struggle to be most to be positive about. However, living in rural Maine has its perks. First, I have never felt unsafe walking across Colby’s campus late at night as a young woman. Portland is only an hour away and it’s a super cool city that most of us probably won’t live close to again. The food scene is unreal, it’s scenic, it’s on the water, and as a shopaholic, it has all my favorite stores. An hour drive is nothing when you have good music and good friends. Colby has so much access to skiing, hiking and beaches. It is not hard to find that scenic spot for your next Instagram.
The Resources – As we navigate this rather confusing and sometimes scary time in life, do we really want to be the ones that have to reach out to alumni all the time or perfect our resumes by ourselves? I want the least amount of responsibility as possible, and at Colby they hold our hands throughout the internship/job search/general life process. We are constantly getting emails from Davis Connects about successful alumni visiting campus, about internship opportunities, or about resume workshops. At big schools, these luxuries do not exist. The alumni network and career center really do set us up for success in the least stressful way possible. Thx Davis Connects!
THE PEOPLE – It’s almost impossible not to meet great people and make lasting connections at Colby. I’m pretty sure if I were to break my ankle walking home from the apartments one night, someone at Colby (even if they didn’t know me) would come to my rescue. I know if I’m having a bad day there will always be someone on campus who is down to get chicken nuggets from the spa with me and then probably watch trashy reality tv after -the Bachelor anyone? Colby’s community is pretty great and it’s easy to forget this but try not to.
Luckily, I have grown increasingly aware of the negative effects of an attitude like this and how it slowly wreaks havoc on your viewpoint of everything in life. Surround yourself with positivity (especially in the winter when things can get dreary), don’t put up with other people’s negativity, and try to see the glass as half full (even if it looks like it’s about to spill).