Making the most out of unexpected summer plans
H.A.G.S. or “have a great summer” — the well-known acronym just about every student used to write in yearbooks, wishing their classmates a great summer as the school year came to a close.
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H.A.G.S. or “have a great summer” — the well-known acronym just about every student used to write in yearbooks, wishing their classmates a great summer as the school year came to a close.
“Okay, that’s all I have for today. Have a great weekend!” my Media Studies professor said. Already prepared to leave, I quickly threw my backpack over my shoulder and headed out of the door. It was time to pick up my prospective student! She would be staying two nights in my dorm as a part of Spring Fling, an admissions program designed specifically for admitted black students. Excited to finally meet my ‘prospie,’ I made my way to the admissions office.
As a child, I always had fun birthday parties. My first birthday was Mickey and Minnie Mouse themed, while later on in elementary school, I had parties at a nail salon and a hotel. By the time I reached middle school, I simply wanted to do an activity with my friends to celebrate my birthday, such a roller skating. Nonetheless, we were never too old to end the night with a sleepover, watching movies and sharing stories all night long.
Thursday is both a good and bad day for me. It is good because I usually have all of my work done for the week. I also have an 11 a.m. class on Friday, meaning I can hang out with friends without stressing about homework or waking up early. However, Thursday is also the day I need to plan my schedule for the upcoming week. I copy and paste the readings and assignments from my all of my classes’ syllabi onto a sticky note on my MacBook, choosing which days I will be able to complete them. Though I often end up moving my homework around throughout the week due to my busy schedule, I ultimately aim to stick to my sticky note agenda on a daily basis.
A few weeks ago as I was doing homework in my dorm, I was interrupted by a FaceTime call from my younger brother. I quickly answered the call, surprised to see that he was outside in the dark. In the background I heard my parents saying that they had a surprise for me. Flashing me a huge smile, my brother stepped into a car and revved up the engine. Though I was confused at first, I soon figured it out — my parents had bought me my first car! Not expecting a car until my birthday in April, I was extremely grateful, making sure to thank my parents several times.
Though Black History Month started Feb. 1, for my family it started in January, specifically on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For many MLK days through the years, my brother and I watched "Our Friend, Martin,” a movie in which two teenage boys, one black and one white, go back in time and meet Martin Luther King at various points in his life. As a child this movie helped me to feel proud of my black heritage and to greatly appreciate the black leaders who fought against slavery, segregation and many other forms of racial oppression in America.
Like every other college student, I planned to get a lot of work done over Thanksgiving break. I had a test the Monday after break and a project due that Friday. I also had another test to start studying for, as well as a project and a paper coming up. I knew it would be impossible for me to do all of these assignments over the break, but I made several of them my top priorities. I believed that, if I worked every day of the break except Thanksgiving, I could get them all done.
I am a planner. I like to write out my weekly schedule on a sticky note on my MacBook, my version of an agenda. Though I usually have to adjust the schedule, I try my best to stick to it. Overall, I like to know in advance what I will be doing each day of the week.
Halloween was one of my favorite holidays as a child. I loved going to Party City to pick out a costume and putting up Halloween decorations around my house. I also looked forward to spending Halloween with one of my best friends from elementary school, who trick-or-treated with me every year until high school. Perhaps the best part of Halloween for me was the end of the night, when my brother, cousins, friend and I dumped all of our candy out of our buckets and traded amongst each other.
Réussir. This is one of my favorite words in French. Although it has several translations, “réussir” usually means to succeed at doing something. But what exactly is success? To be successful in college, students are supposed to earn high grades and stay involved in their college community. Also, although money is not necessary for success, having some spending money keeps students from being left out of activities and lets them thrive socially. But what about when students do not fit this mold for success? Can they still feel successful?
“Hurry up — it’s seven o’clock!” I told my mom and brother, rushing to join the crowd of people surrounding the stage. We were at Kings Dominion’s Halloween Haunt, and the Overlord’s Resurrection was about to start. Creepy music soon blasted through the speakers, and the Overlord, followed by a parade of monsters, marched on stage. He gave a short speech as the monsters watched him with reverence, ultimately giving his monsters permission to terrify all of the amusement park’s guests.
“Hey girl! How was your French test?” I greeted my friend, running into her on Central Grounds. We had chatted for a few minutes before I remembered I needed to get to class. “What time is it?” I nervously asked. Giving me a weird look, she glanced down at her phone. “11:55,” she replied. Since my class started at noon, I quickly said goodbye to her and ran to class.
“Thank you!” I yelled to the bus driver as I stepped off the bus and began my walk to the AFC. Surprisingly I was running a bit early for my dance club tryouts, so I decided to take my time to get there. Strolling down Alderman Road, the first thing I noticed were the herds of first-years walking to Crossroads or heading back to their dorms. Even though I did not live in New Dorms my first year, I laughed to myself as I remembered the many eventful nights and study sessions that ended at Crossroads last year. By the time I reached the AFC, I felt very nostalgic about first year. While there certainly are advantages to being an upperclassman, there are several first year perks I am sad to leave behind.
Imagine a drunken man lying on the street. He is wearing raggedy clothes and looks like he is in pain. Would you help him?
As I glance around my room, looking at my various pictures and other college memorabilia, I cannot believe my first year is almost over. While first semester seemed somewhat long, second semester flew by quickly. Nevertheless, a lot of things have happened in my life throughout first year, despite its brevity. From making new friends to pulling several all-nighters, I have had my fair share of both good and bad experiences. Now, as I reflect upon my first year as a whole, I realize these experiences have taught me some very important things. The following are some lessons I would like to not only apply to the rest of my college career but also share with students of all years, as we take on the various challenges of college together.
As a kid I loved playing the Game of Life. I could get a cool job, earn a lot of money, live in a nice house, get married and have kids all with the spin of wheel. Although sometimes I didn’t land on the spaces I wanted, I was guaranteed a happy ending in retirement. However, it is not as fun when the game turns real. Students become the players as soon as they enter college, making many decisions that will ultimately affect the rest of their lives. While this is necessary in some ways, in other ways it is very stressful and misleading.
“Gooch-Dillard? What is that?” I exclaimed, having just received my first-year housing assignment. Excited and confused, I logged onto the U.Va. Class of 2019 group chat and checked to see what others had been assigned. Most people in the chat were going to live in Old Dorms; nevertheless, there was no shortage of opinions on Gooch-Dillard. According to those in the chat, it was a suite-style dorm, a mile away from classes and isolated from the other first-year dorms. On the bright side, it was near Runk, supposedly the best dining hall.
“Excuse me,” said a voice beside me. I quickly tore my eyes away from the glass case full of sweets and saw a middle-aged man had appeared next to me. “Sorry to bother you, but would you mind paying for this water for me?” he said, gesturing to the bottle on the counter. I gave him a smile and kindly asked him how much the water cost. When he replied that it was only one dollar, I quickly agreed to pay for it; despite my limited budget, I could afford to spare a dollar.