Flashback: 6 Years

Today was freshman Move-In Day here at Muskingum University. For the majority of the day I was in my office at work and was away from the mass chaos, but during lunch I returned to my apartment for some relaxation. It was then that I flashed back to my own freshman move-in day six years ago at good old B-Dubs. I remember being nervous, hoping my roommate would be as normal in person as she sounded on the phone and on Facebook, and I was scared about leaving my high school boyfriend at home while I was left to face college all by myself. At Convocation that day, all I could think was, "Jessica, you made a mistake. This is not for you. You don't want to be here." I was scared to death and the thought of my parents leaving was unbearable--surprising coming from someone who did not have the best relationship with their parents at the time.

I'm sure some of the freshman here were thinking the same things I was. Starting college is both exciting and scary at the same time. There's the excitement that goes along with going to Target and picking everything out for your new dorm room and thinking about all the things you can do now that you will be "living on your own." And then there's reality--who's going to do my laundry? What if I don't like what they're serving for dinner?

I look back at my college move-in day now and wonder what in the world I was thinking. If I could go back and do it again, I would still choose BW. I had the time of my life in college and cannot imagine a better experience. I can honestly say that the school was a perfect fit for me, and once I got through that first day things got a whole lot better. Yeah, it can be hard leaving your parents for the first time, but my relationship with my parents honestly grew stronger while I was away from them. And leaving my boyfriend behind? Well, it took me awhile to realize it, but it was the best decision I ever made. College can open your eyes to so many things that you were naive to before and give you a whole new perspective on life. It did for me. I miss those days--living in the dorms with my friends, staying up late just goofing around, using my Jacket Express to buy candy and movie tickets at the Candy Counter (sorry, Mom & Dad), and not having to really worry about the "real world."

To all of the college freshman out there--make the most of the next four years. You might be nervous or scared now, but the faster you get over it the quicker you will learn to love college and grow as a person. Cherish your new friendships, but don't forget about the ones at home, either. Live life. It's okay to make mistakes-we all do-just try not to be too stupid or obvious about it :)

It's fun living back on a college campus and being put in a situation that causes you to look back and reflect on your own experience not that long ago. It's crazy how much a person can change in that amount of time. Thank you, Muskingum freshmen, for reminding me of the good old days!

Opening Weekend--it POURED!

Homecoming with 21 Beech friends

Most of the 2005-2006 21 Beech-ers