Three years into my college education and I’ve never stayed anywhere longer than a semester. Currently, I have five semesters of moving back and forth into dorms, apartments, and houses under my belt and for the foreseeable future, it’s going to stay that way.
Fall 2019
The start of my college career: moving into the first floor of Alexander hall, ready to start my new life at UNH and pretending not to cry in front of my new roommate when my parents left.
I lived in my freshman hall for the entirety of the fall 2019 semester, had my fair share of trials and tribulations – because I was an 18 year old on her own for the first time, you know how it is – and went home for winter break thinking I had established a pretty solid foundation at UNH.
Poor 2019 me had no idea what was in store for 2020.
Spring 2020
Confession: I lied. I actually HAVE stayed somewhere longer than a semester, and it was my freshman year in Alexander. Apologies for the deception. To be fair, we all know what happened in 2020, and being sent home in March after being back on campus for barely a month doesn’t count for much to me.
And that was my freshman year. Hardly five months in a dorm, an entire spring semester lost, and the move back home where I waited out the pandemic just to drag my stuff back to Durham again come August.
Fall 2020
Boy was this semester a weird one. I moved not once, but two times into the Mills, first into a suite on the first floor and then all the way up to the fourth. We were finally back at UNH after almost six months away and it was like learning how to exist outside of home all over again, this time with the fear of COVID holding the entire town of Durham in a chokehold.
I spent that fall living in a co-ed suite with six other people – and having a great time considering the circumstances – and cried when I packed up my things yet again for winter break in preparation for another move.
Spring 2021
My semester in Boston. I was accepted into the Semester in the City program at UNH and spent that spring living and interning in Boston for a journalism non-profit. In all honesty, applying for the program was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in college. I learned more about myself, my aspirations, and my major in those few months than I ever have on campus and I met some of my favorite people ever.
Not to sit here promoting the program or anything, but I highly encourage everyone to look into it and do it if you have a semester to spare.
However, the end of the semester brought on another move: back home for the summer yet again.
Fall 2021
This semester, I moved into the Chi Omega house and it’s hard to believe that there’s only two weeks left before I have to make another move. Not to say that this semester hasn’t been eventful, but compared to the others, it’s felt like a lull in my time at UNH.
Next semester, I’ll be off London, adding yet another place onto my long list of temporary homes. You would think that with all the moving I’d have gotten good at packing, but no matter what happens, I’ll always be a chronic overpacker. I’m terrified to see how much crap I’ll attempt to stuff into my carryon on the flight to the U.K.
After all the moving, my best advice is this: Go off and do all you can while you can. Why would you spend your entire college career in one place if you don’t have to? There’s only so much you can learn in Durham, New Hampshire and infinite things once you leave.