The Handbook

Awhile ago I started a project for two friends. I decided to write down all the wisdom I have accumulated over the 3ish years I have spent in college. I told them it would be a handbook on how to survive or just deal with whatever college throws at you. I started off strong doing one entry a week. Then as is typical, life takes over and you no longer think there is time for such personal assignments. Over this break I plan to catch up and post them here. Telling myself I have to post a new one weekly on the blog hopefully will keep me more accountable. So now it begins, I'm hoping to have at least 14 posted by the end of break.

Here's the First Week.

I told you I would give you a mini handbook about the college experience and I'm sticking to it. Part of it is because I think it would have been helpful to know this stuff ahead of time, or at least know that someone else has been through the same thing. But also really this (selfishly) is for me, a reflection on my past four years at Hope College and the crazy randomness that occurred and I learned from. I am going to try my hardest to make sure I do at least one entry a week. There are about 36 weeks until graduation ( yes I just counted) so I'll try to reach a goal of 36 for you. Who knows if I'm feeling up to it maybe I'll keep going into summer and add more life/summer experiences. Since we all know summer is its own world really, with its own intriguing tales.

Focus, okay so I'm gonna be back tracking and skipping around, bear with me. I think since it’s the first week of school I'll tell you about my freshman year move-in this week. I'm not sure if you know this story already but the roommate I lived with was not the roommate Hope assigned to me. First I was going to room with this girl Maria. She was actually from Kalamazoo and went to K Christian. Seems cool right, I could easily meet her and get to know her right away. Well plans went awry and I didn't meet her until this Hope Picnic in July. I introduce myself, super nervous and kinda feeling insecure, and she basically is cold and blows me off. This sends me into a panic. My roommate sucks, we will never be friends, how can I live with such a girl!? After a good cry fest in the car, my mom and I went to figure out what my options were.

Conveniently, I had been fb messaging with a girl who had yet to hear back from her roommate and was also freaking out about it. I decided to ask her how she felt about possibly being my roommate for the year, and she said she was thinking about asking me the same thing. So we made the switch so that we were both free from our unappealing roommates. Magically, Brittany and I ended up getting along and though there were minor set backs (I'm sure I'll get to those in this handbook) I couldn't have asked for a better Freshman year roommate experience.

Story time aside, basically what I want to let you know is that going away to college is freaking scary. No need to feel weird about thinking it is, but if you don't think its scary that's okay too. People have their own ways of handling new situations. Clearly things were not going swimmingly for me but that doesn't mean it won't end up working out. Sometimes you have to deal with the hardship to grow and learn about yourself. After that’s all said and done you come out on the other side being a better person and if you're fortunate you get something, like an awesome roommate, out of the deal.

Also, before college starts just know your mom/dad will be bugging you about any and everything they can. Let them. If it really starts to wear you down, kindly let them know that as much as you love them you need a bit of space to just be. Since you're the baby it really could go either way. They might be ready to kick you out and have their own place again or be afraid of becoming empty nesters. Really its about a 50/50 chance of either.