I called her the first night after I had spent hours in my college dorm room trying to find scholarships. The sound of my best friend’s voice, now eight hours away, is enough to break my composure. I sob, suddenly understanding that my loneliness is far from temporary. Everything that I am accustomed to seeing, from fields that stretch to the horizon to the morning paper at the end of my cracked driveway is replaced with strange faces and new names that beckon me to trade the life I know for ice cream socials and church events set amongst the towering pine trees that now surround me.
After a night of fitful sleep, I get out of bed the next morning, and, not quite sure what to do with myself. I leave my roommate a note stating that I “went exploring”, and I walk outside, clinching my umbrella in anticipation of the unpredictable East Texas weather. I wander around campus in the oppressive morning humidity, trying to get an idea of the location of my classes. As I look around at the multitude of unfamiliar buildings, everything my parents and my teachers have told me about their college experiences resound in my mind. The promises of friendships with professors and meeting great new people and finding out that the whole of high school really does equal everything petty in the world soon pale, in comparison to my craving for something as simple and familiar as a fresh Hearty Apple smoothie.
Upon discovering that Smoothie King did not open until noon on Sunday, I let my feet carry me two miles down the road to Hastings, the nearest multimedia store, in search of a distraction. As I cross the streets that I do not yet recognize, I delve deeper into my chaotic thoughts and deep down realize that all is not lost. While my first year at college could very well be a solitary affair, I could make the time I had meaningful. I vow to myself that my grades would be as near to perfection as I could manage, and that I would try to make it through the year without another emotional breakdown.
By the time I leave Hastings with the latest copies of Rolling Stone and Spin magazines, the sun has made an appearance. I stride back to campus in the midday heat, and I am first in line when Smoothie King unlocks its doors for the day.
Now refreshed, I return to my dorm room with a slightly newer perspective on life and some new blisters on my feet. My vulnerability and despair lift away as I discover that, regardless of the circumstances, I could always be happy and successful by looking on the positive side of an unfamiliar situation. Undoubtedly, the most difficult part of the process is deciding to take the high road (an uphill hike always proves to be more demanding than tumbling headfirst down the slope of the low road), and, ultimately, the extra calluses are always worth the walk.
After a night of fitful sleep, I get out of bed the next morning, and, not quite sure what to do with myself. I leave my roommate a note stating that I “went exploring”, and I walk outside, clinching my umbrella in anticipation of the unpredictable East Texas weather. I wander around campus in the oppressive morning humidity, trying to get an idea of the location of my classes. As I look around at the multitude of unfamiliar buildings, everything my parents and my teachers have told me about their college experiences resound in my mind. The promises of friendships with professors and meeting great new people and finding out that the whole of high school really does equal everything petty in the world soon pale, in comparison to my craving for something as simple and familiar as a fresh Hearty Apple smoothie.
Upon discovering that Smoothie King did not open until noon on Sunday, I let my feet carry me two miles down the road to Hastings, the nearest multimedia store, in search of a distraction. As I cross the streets that I do not yet recognize, I delve deeper into my chaotic thoughts and deep down realize that all is not lost. While my first year at college could very well be a solitary affair, I could make the time I had meaningful. I vow to myself that my grades would be as near to perfection as I could manage, and that I would try to make it through the year without another emotional breakdown.
By the time I leave Hastings with the latest copies of Rolling Stone and Spin magazines, the sun has made an appearance. I stride back to campus in the midday heat, and I am first in line when Smoothie King unlocks its doors for the day.
Now refreshed, I return to my dorm room with a slightly newer perspective on life and some new blisters on my feet. My vulnerability and despair lift away as I discover that, regardless of the circumstances, I could always be happy and successful by looking on the positive side of an unfamiliar situation. Undoubtedly, the most difficult part of the process is deciding to take the high road (an uphill hike always proves to be more demanding than tumbling headfirst down the slope of the low road), and, ultimately, the extra calluses are always worth the walk.
StudentScholarships.org is a website devoted to helping you find scholarships for first year college students.
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