Back in the day...
Labels:
first year,
frosh week,
residence,
yucard
In my previous blog I alluded to the fact that my first year transition was, to put it nicely, a little rough. I don't want to worry any one because it's really not a bad story (I mean, it obviously ends well) but it's probably going to sound familiar to the people who have gone through it and it's something to keep in mind while you're going through it. Spoiler alert: I came out alright.
I was moving from a small town where I had lived with my parents and 2 sisters (and a cat, she is my favourite.) My older sister had gone to university 2 years before me, and when we moved her in I cried inconsoleably for hours. It was embarrassing. Unfortunately, this was foreshadowing for my own move.
The day I left to move into residence, I started crying in the shower and pretty much did not stop until later that night. I cried packing up my dads truck with my stuff. I cried during the 3 hour drive. I cried when the crowd of like 100 frosh leaders welcomed me to Tatham Hall by cheering my name and clapping (omg embarrassing). I cried the entire time we were unpacking my stuff. And I REALLY cried when my parents left me here. I did not stop crying until the frosh leaders took me to get my YUCard. Consequently, my YUCard photo was a red and puffy eyed Claire who looked extremely unimpressed with the entire process. (Luckily I got to get a new card and I made sure to do my hair and makeup before hand. The old one has been destroyed.)
Despite my intentions to sit in my room and cry for the rest of the year, I was talked into buying a frosh kit and was gently hearded into a crowd of other first years for food, cheers and a surprisingly awesome tour of campus (did you know that York's campus was designed so military tanks would be able to move through it? It's not, but that 'fact' has been stated during the tour for many, many years so don't be fooled!.) I was still reluctant to enjoy myself but little by little I was loosening up.
Frosh Week was great, and I loved it and I made friends and I had tons of fun. I was still painfully homesick though and while I was friendly to all the people I had met, I was not fully open to making new friends just yet. Eventually this led to a bit of a personal crisis. About the end of September I called my parents and tearfully begged them to come get me. Class was actually going fine, and I had girls I liked on my floor but I missed everything about home and did not want to stay one minute longer. My mom very carefully said no and when we got off the phone I cleaned myself up and went to watch TV in the common room. Little did I know, my don (the York word for an RA) had arranged for a movie event so I got to sit quietly, watch a good movie and not be alone for the first night since frosh had ended.
When my floor had their next house meeting I volunteered to help plan another movie night; I wanted to stay busy so I wouldn't call my mom and dad again.This was probably one of the best things to happen to me (sorry mom & dad!). In no time, I was able to actually build a meaningful relationship with the people I was living with and I was helping to plan events in my residence. I still missed home but I was actually enjoying being at York now.
By Christmas I was in charge of event planning for my floor and on a committee that planned for the entire residence. By April I had a position as a volunteer for Health Ed for the next year, I had applied to be a Frosh leader, and I did not want to move home for the summer.
Looking back on those first few months of university is still a little hard but it makes me really appreciate what new students are going through when I meet them. Going to university was never something I was really that excited about but after a small push from my parents and a few timid steps on my own, I can't imagine not coming here. I really owe a lot to my residence, my college and my first year experience, without it there is no way I would be where I am or who I am today.
I was moving from a small town where I had lived with my parents and 2 sisters (and a cat, she is my favourite.) My older sister had gone to university 2 years before me, and when we moved her in I cried inconsoleably for hours. It was embarrassing. Unfortunately, this was foreshadowing for my own move.
The day I left to move into residence, I started crying in the shower and pretty much did not stop until later that night. I cried packing up my dads truck with my stuff. I cried during the 3 hour drive. I cried when the crowd of like 100 frosh leaders welcomed me to Tatham Hall by cheering my name and clapping (omg embarrassing). I cried the entire time we were unpacking my stuff. And I REALLY cried when my parents left me here. I did not stop crying until the frosh leaders took me to get my YUCard. Consequently, my YUCard photo was a red and puffy eyed Claire who looked extremely unimpressed with the entire process. (Luckily I got to get a new card and I made sure to do my hair and makeup before hand. The old one has been destroyed.)
Despite my intentions to sit in my room and cry for the rest of the year, I was talked into buying a frosh kit and was gently hearded into a crowd of other first years for food, cheers and a surprisingly awesome tour of campus (did you know that York's campus was designed so military tanks would be able to move through it? It's not, but that 'fact' has been stated during the tour for many, many years so don't be fooled!.) I was still reluctant to enjoy myself but little by little I was loosening up.
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When my floor had their next house meeting I volunteered to help plan another movie night; I wanted to stay busy so I wouldn't call my mom and dad again.This was probably one of the best things to happen to me (sorry mom & dad!). In no time, I was able to actually build a meaningful relationship with the people I was living with and I was helping to plan events in my residence. I still missed home but I was actually enjoying being at York now.
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| Amazing Race: Gator House Edition! One of our most successful residence events, I had a lot of fun planning this one. (I'm just over the word 'race' on the banner, between the girls in green.) |
Looking back on those first few months of university is still a little hard but it makes me really appreciate what new students are going through when I meet them. Going to university was never something I was really that excited about but after a small push from my parents and a few timid steps on my own, I can't imagine not coming here. I really owe a lot to my residence, my college and my first year experience, without it there is no way I would be where I am or who I am today.
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