Thanks everyone for responding
Guys, thanks for indulging my nosy behavior and telling me about your first days. I want to respond to everyone in an entry so…here we go!
GoodbyeMidnight - I wish I was moving in on Thursday. I don’t get back to LAC until Saturday and I’ve been anxious to go for awhile now. I think it’s great that you found some place that’s close to home. I actually was accepted to a college that’s literally two minutes from my house and I just couldn’t envision myself going there. I wanted to be the first person in my family to get out of our home-state, but I have to admit, I am sometimes envious of my siblings. They can just drive home, do their laundry instead of shelling out $1.25, and get a home-cooked meal. One of my brothers went to a school about 45 minutes from home and he said it felt like he was a world away! So, you never know, it could feel like “you went away” for college.
Mizzie - You question whether being excited and terrifed is normal…of course it is! When I shoved my luggage into my mom’s car last August I wanted to simultaneously be driving on the highway towards LAC and walking to Spaz’s house so we could sit on her front porch. Basically, I wanted to go as much as I didn’t want to go. I’m not sure if that makes sense but it’s just a mess of conflicted feelings that is perfectly normal. :)
Ahh, I think you’ve brought more stuff than me. Just remember that it’s your dorm for only a year, so packing up in May or June, whenever you get out, could be a hassle if you’ve brought your whole world with you. I didn’t bring a ton of stuff with me to college but I ended up accumulating a lot and packing to leave was a bitch. My bags were a good 75 pounds each.
I thought my school was small but 17 people in your graduating class?! Is it close to a city or bustling town?
Saramaile - Honestly, it wasn’t until my mom asked me offhand near the end of my senior year in high school whether I wanted to take a gap year. The thought never occured to me at all. The high school I went to boasted the traditional path of going to college immediately after graduation and then getting a job. If a gap year had been an option for me I think I would’ve been really interested in doing it. How is Paris and where are you going next? You have no idea how jealous I am of you. I’ve wanted to travel all my life but a big family means no big vacations. After language school are you staying in Europe for the year or another year? Do you plan on going to college? Sorry, I’m being nosy again.
Gringa - Wow, you guys start late. I have to admit I am really ignorant of the university experience across the pond. I can relate to having too many options though. My first month at college I had wanted to join five or six clubs but I quickly realized it wasn’t going to happen. I hope that the people you’re sharing your flat with are nice. I didn’t have a roommate, thank God, but I did have a loud neighbor that I wrote about here. My friend, Spaz, had a triple and she didn’t get along with one girl but her second roommate was really great. They didn’t have the same close friends but they genuinely liked each other.
Well, I need to do laundry, clean my room, pack, pack pack and then start saying goodbye. This is going to be a long, hectic week.
Kinda funny, I was accepted to another art school that’s a few states away and I didn’t go cause I couldn’t see myself there, so it was the opposite for me. I don’t know if I’ll get to keep my car at college (they are more than cryptic about how to get a parking permit for the year, I keep calling and seem to get farther from an answer every time) so it really may seem like I went out of state.
I never thought of taking time off either. I’m academically and theatrically driven. I didn’t get into the schools I thought I wanted, so I went the extreme opposite. Paris is like NYC except people smoke more (it’s possible) and the streets are more narrow. It’s definitely calmer though. After this venture I’m heading to the south of France then Italy (Rome and Florence). I’ll make my way back up to Paris for an Ani Difranco concert hopefully, and then make Amsterdam my last stop.
I get back to the states at the beginning of November. Then I will proceed to move out of my house, work and take classes (French to keep up and something else) at the local college to keep myself busy. Next fall I hope to attend Skidmore or maybe Sarah Lawrence. I don’t know, something liberal artsy.
In the end, I’m glad I’m doing this. When I go to college next fall, it will be the right school. I wasn’t going to settle for anything else. It was hard, but it will be worth it.
It’s ok to be nosy, I read all about your life:)
Oh…I meant 17 in my MT class, not the whole school. Tee hee. And yeah…unpacking was pretty manageable…I guess I didn’t bring too much!
I’ve already met some AMAZING people here, even though the dorms aren’t full yet. I’m really happy.