TRANSFORMATIVE
Wow. I can not believe that my freshman year has come to an end. I know, I know, that sounds cliche, right? It feels like I’m writing something impersonal, like “Call me!” or “Have a great summer!” in someone’s metaphorical yearbook. But this isn’t a yearbook, and this is not just a cliche, at least not to me. This is my whole freshman year, reduced into one piece of writing that I will cherish for years and years to come. I’ve always enjoyed taking the time to sit down and reflect--the Honors Program’s favorite buzzword!--about my growth. I’ll admit that I’m not very organized in my thoughts, so bear with my stream of consciousness.
I came to the University of Cincinnati under the impression that it would be a smooth transition. I never had trouble in high school, so how hard could this be, right? Not that hard, surely. I could not have been more wrong. The first two weeks were a living hell. I was disorganized, fumbling to make sure my assignments were complete, my laundry was done, and my room was clean. I took my mother for granted, truly, and I’m eternally grateful for all she did for me, cooking and cleaning and mopping and all those years. But as any good student does, I learned to buckle down. I took solace in my roommate, my newfound friends, and my boyfriend. Together, they helped me as I made the adjustment to a college lifestyle, and I owe my success in part to them. My boyfriend especially. I did not meet him until the end of the school year, but that is definitely when I needed him most. He helped me stay emotionally sane as finals approached, and he introduced me to so many brand new people that also supported me with their friendship.
Another big part of my success is owed to my parents, of course, for keeping me sane and helping me with the hard stuff: finances, and emotional support when school was just too hard. My friends mean a lot to me, sure, but my parents have always been there for me, and I could not be more grateful for them. I could not have made it to where I am today without them. A final part of my success was owed to myself. As selfish as it may sound, I don’t think I give myself nearly enough love as I should. Most times, I find myself ragging on myself to work harder, be smarter, don’t be this way, or don’t act that way. But this year, I’ve learned to love myself. Self-love is a concept with which we should all be aware, certainly. This is my advice for my future self, as I progress through my college career. This year flew by, and I'm sure the next years will fly by just as quickly. I have realized that I may not be the prettiest or the smartest, but I’m still a wonderful person, and I thank God for always guiding me in the right direction. So Claire, if you're reading this again in the future, I remind you once more: love yourself.
If I had to choose a word to express this year, I would definitely have to choose “transformative.” This year was all about transformation. It would be easier to say that I had “changed,” but it would not be accurate. I am not the same girl I once was, but I have not changed completely. Rather, I have built upon what once was, and become the woman I am today, and for this I am very proud. Sure, there are some things I would have rather not occurred. I made mistakes, I stumbled and fell a couple times, I made a fool out of myself more than I’d like to admit. One might ask, “What would you have changed, Claire?” However, I wouldn’t have changed anything. It’s important to say, I regret nothing. Everything I did this year, from good to bad to worse, taught me a valuable life lesson. And you’ll quickly learn that in its respective moment in time, nothing you ever do will teach you anything. It’s not until later that you learn from what happened.
I came to the University of Cincinnati under the impression that it would be a smooth transition. I never had trouble in high school, so how hard could this be, right? Not that hard, surely. I could not have been more wrong. The first two weeks were a living hell. I was disorganized, fumbling to make sure my assignments were complete, my laundry was done, and my room was clean. I took my mother for granted, truly, and I’m eternally grateful for all she did for me, cooking and cleaning and mopping and all those years. But as any good student does, I learned to buckle down. I took solace in my roommate, my newfound friends, and my boyfriend. Together, they helped me as I made the adjustment to a college lifestyle, and I owe my success in part to them. My boyfriend especially. I did not meet him until the end of the school year, but that is definitely when I needed him most. He helped me stay emotionally sane as finals approached, and he introduced me to so many brand new people that also supported me with their friendship.
Another big part of my success is owed to my parents, of course, for keeping me sane and helping me with the hard stuff: finances, and emotional support when school was just too hard. My friends mean a lot to me, sure, but my parents have always been there for me, and I could not be more grateful for them. I could not have made it to where I am today without them. A final part of my success was owed to myself. As selfish as it may sound, I don’t think I give myself nearly enough love as I should. Most times, I find myself ragging on myself to work harder, be smarter, don’t be this way, or don’t act that way. But this year, I’ve learned to love myself. Self-love is a concept with which we should all be aware, certainly. This is my advice for my future self, as I progress through my college career. This year flew by, and I'm sure the next years will fly by just as quickly. I have realized that I may not be the prettiest or the smartest, but I’m still a wonderful person, and I thank God for always guiding me in the right direction. So Claire, if you're reading this again in the future, I remind you once more: love yourself.
If I had to choose a word to express this year, I would definitely have to choose “transformative.” This year was all about transformation. It would be easier to say that I had “changed,” but it would not be accurate. I am not the same girl I once was, but I have not changed completely. Rather, I have built upon what once was, and become the woman I am today, and for this I am very proud. Sure, there are some things I would have rather not occurred. I made mistakes, I stumbled and fell a couple times, I made a fool out of myself more than I’d like to admit. One might ask, “What would you have changed, Claire?” However, I wouldn’t have changed anything. It’s important to say, I regret nothing. Everything I did this year, from good to bad to worse, taught me a valuable life lesson. And you’ll quickly learn that in its respective moment in time, nothing you ever do will teach you anything. It’s not until later that you learn from what happened.