Life as a freshman here at F&M can be tough. Not only are we the fourth most rigorous college in the nation according to The Daily Beast, but there are also the choices like what clubs to join, what sports to do, where things are, how to live with a roommate, among other newbie obstacles.
I’ve definitely had a few challenges myself. I have a boyfriend back home, which is almost three hours away. He’s currently a senior in high school, and while it’s hard not seeing him every weekend as I did my senior year of high school, we Skype and text whenever we can. We just celebrated our 14-month anniversary, and we’re still going strong despite the distance. I miss him all the time, but I know that he’s always there and supportive of me, and available to talk whenever I need.
I went to a small, Jewish, private school in New Jersey and grew up having Jewish traditions taught to me from age five, and getting off for most holidays in the Jewish year. I lived in a kosher home, went to a school that offered kosher lunches, and always had a nice kosher meal for dinner. I still keep kosher here at F&M, and it’s not always easy. Luckily, I have the KIVO section (Kosher, International, Vegan and Organic) to help me out most of the time, but on Shabbat, or the Jewish Sabbath, and on Jewish holidays, KIVO can be closed or not have hot meals. Here are my tips to make kosher living a little easier at F&M:
- Eating vegetarian, with no shellfish.
- Going to Hillel for Friday night dinners.
- Find a friend for Jewish holidays. F&M still held classes on Rosh Hashannah, so I went to services on the second day. I had both my pre-fast and chicken soup meals with my friend, Sammy, making the holiday away from home less overwhelming.
My 19th birthday, which occurred the Friday of Homecoming weekend, was a very interesting one. My first birthday away from home, I also was blessed to share the day with the birth of my newborn niece, Eilat. Right before my only class of the day, I got a phone call from my mom saying that I have a healthy newborn niece. Eilat is my oldest brother’s first child, and I was honored to become an aunt. Part of me felt bad that I couldn’t be there for the birth, but it was also nice for my mom and my boyfriend to come up for parents’ weekend to help celebrate my birthday, and for my mom to tell me all about Eilat.
Classes here have been pretty interesting so far, especially since mine don’t start until 1:30 most of the week. I have to say that I love F&M so much. I cannot imagine a better school for me, or a place where I would be happier. I have a nice group of friends and I have activities that I enjoy doing and classes I love. To me, F&M has become another home, or at least a home away from home.