I am of the firm belief that no matter what a person experiences over the course of several years, they are constantly evolving. While I came into Kenyon with the fervent notion that I would graduate with an English and Creative Writing degree, that might not be the case for everyone. And that’s more than okay; it’s fantastic.
As a senior, there are several types of change that have come knocking on the proverbial door throughout my college career, many of which I have found unavoidable. While some of these changes may seem daunting or unwanted at the moment, opportunities for positive transformation and acceptance of these changes make all the difference and can enhance your college experience.
1. You might look different.
Without my doing, I started to go gray at seventeen years old. It wasn’t in my genes, but, hey, it happened. The summer before my senior year, I noticed that the two strands of hair that had lacked melanin since my junior year of high school weren’t the only ones dotting my scalp. Part of me thought that this was simply the work of the sun, a byproduct of kayaking and exercising outside during the warmer months. But alas, I was wrong, or simply naive. Either way, I cannot escape the fact that my hair has started losing its pigmentation. I could dye it — and maybe I will one day — but it would not change the fact that this transformation is occurring and I cannot outrun the fact of its existence forever.
While I have never been skinny, my body has changed from my freshman year. In the span of just three years, I have lost weight, gained it back, burned fat, and gained muscle. My body, according to my parents and the healthcare professionals in my life, has gone through waves of changes. That my lifestyle, activity level, and medication levels have changed, consequently means that my body has as well. This is something that I have to accept, no matter whether I am slimmer or heavier. My goal is to maintain my health, and if that means that I gain or lose a few pounds, so be it!
2. Your academic and career interests could change.
Not everyone knows exactly what they want to do in college and beyond, and that can be an incredible thing.
Kenyon College preaches the value of a “liberal arts education” every chance it gets, but this much is true: at Kenyon — especially during the first few years of your college experience — students have the opportunity to test out different courses and interests. In fact, it is both encouraged and required of students to take classes outside of their intended major.
While it might seem daunting to switch academic and/or career paths, Kenyon is the place to do this. You’ll be saving your future self from stress if you let yourself adapt to these changes.
During my Freshman year, I desperately needed to fill my schedule to meet the required course credits per semester. I needed a class — any class — to meet the 2.0 credit requirement. I wound up sitting in the third row in an Introduction to Ethics course within the Kenyon Philosophy Department, where I was… utterly and completely lost. I didn’t agree with Locke or Hobbes and felt as though I was completely out of my element. After a few classes and with the insistence of my parents over the phone, I made it my goal to sit with my pen in hand and soak up as much information as I could.
I was not only introduced to new ideas, but I was pushing myself to adapt to a level of uncomfortability that helped me become more flexible and curious over the course of the class. Now, with one semester left and one more Philosophy class to go, I am minoring in this field — something I never thought would happen had PlanAhead not severely under planned my freshman schedule.
3. It is normal to outgrow friends.
It is wonderful to have friends who are permanent, but there is a very real possibility that not everyone you meet will be in your life for the long-haul. As you age and mature, you’ll figure out which friendships are helping you grow and become the person you want to be, and which might be holding you back. It’s important to give yourself and those around you grace in this transformational period in your life.
4. Your love life might change.
Over the course of the past three or so years, I have gone on dates, been in relationships (or relationship-like situations), and tended to a broken heart several times.
If romantic love is what you seek, you will find it. You might not love and be loved romantically within the borders of Gambier, but it will happen for you. I am hopeful that it will happen for me, and it is this hope that we should keep steadfast — without lowering standards, without putting ourselves through emotionally damaging situations, and without the fear of being unloved.
If you meet your future spouse on campus, more power to you! If you don’t, accept the change and learn from any heartbreaks.
5. You could surprise yourself by your actions.
I believe that I am more of an extrovert than I am an introvert. However, over the past few years, I noticed that I have far less of a social battery than I used to. While this might have irritated me when I first began to experience a high level of social burnout during my sophomore year at Kenyon, I now see that it is not a curse. In fact, I wonder if there are times that I was feeling overwhelmed socially, but didn’t have the tools in my metaphorical toolbox to really understand this and take time to recharge in a way that would keep me healthy and content.
During my freshman year at Kenyon, you couldn’t have paid me to attend an all-campus event. I was frightened by the idea of mingling with people I didn’t know. This year, I have made it my mission to interact with people and connect with others that I haven’t talked to, either in a while or ever. I don’t shy away from all-campus events (within reason, and that reason being illness or fatigue). I apply for jobs and internships that are outside of my direct career paths for the sake of wanting to be a well-rounded person and student. I send DMs to people I haven’t chatted with and think are interesting… I’ve breathed new life into my college experience; you can too.
It’s marvelous and terrifying all at the same time. Enjoy it, because the one constant in life is change, as cliche and ironic as this may seem.
This is your time to change, adapt, and mold yourself into the person you’d like to be. It takes a little elbow grease and a healthy dose of personal reflection and acceptance, but it is well worth it.
