Looking Back: Fall 2004

I began my college career at Elon University in the Fall of 2004. It was the first time I had ever moved out-of state, (from New Jersey to North Carolina) and I was very nervous about making such a big move. While I was excited about the opportunities Elon had to offer me as a student, I was upset to be leaving my high school boyfriend and best friends. We would all be attending college in different parts of the country, and I knew that being able to see each other regularly would be almost impossible.

Elon had some very nice residence halls at the time, but somehow I wound up in the Jordan Center. The Jordan Center (or “JC” as it was fondly called by its residents) had been built as temporary housing on campus for students in the 1980s. It then proceeded to continue housing students for the next 25 years. It was set up like summer camp, with porches on the front of each suite leading to the outside, and the rooms were incredibly tiny. I remember being a bit in shock and thinking, “uh-oh, this is where I’m living!?”

Luckily, my roommate (Krista, a student who had come to Elon to play golf from Canada) and I had a good bit in common. We were both from far away, and both concerned about doing well on our schoolwork. While we were not best friends, and didn’t live together for the rest of college I was glad we were able to do alright with one another for most of that year.

At the start of college I was incredibly homesick. It also took me awhile to make good friends. Krista and I got to know several girls who lived in the suite next to us, at the beginning of the semester, but it wasn’t until about December until I really felt like I knew them well. Making friends initially was certainly challenging, I just hadn’t realized how long it would take to find people who I truly clicked with.  I was also more introverted when I began college and far less confident than I was by the time I graduated. By challenging myself to meet new people, and get involved in meaningful activities I cared about over the course of my four years (Greek life, service activities, tour guides, etc.) I grew tremendously as a person.

My advice for you as first-year students is that forming meaningful friendships takes time and a series of shared experiences, so don’t be concerned if this takes awhile to happen. Also, be sure to push yourself outside your comfort level, and be intentional about who you would like to be on graduation day over the course of your time in college. Who is it you want to be when you walk across that stage in 2015? I challenge you to be inspired by the image of your potential on graduation day, and use that image to motivate you to reach your full potential in all areas of college life.

Alex