I remember when I received my acceptance letter from Hamilton five months ago. I remember feeling the anxiousness, uneasiness and the sense of pure joy when the first words were “Congratulations Ramisa….”. It still seems surreal that I am here at Hamilton. Me. A college student. Kinda, sorta, almost, basically an adult? One of my biggest concerns before coming to Hamilton was how I was going to make Hamilton my home. The place where I felt comfortable, accepted, and at peace. Where I could walk down to breakfast in my worn-down pajamas and sing songs in my dorm. What I’ve realized is that it doesn’t matter what the place is, because it’s not the place that makes the college or university, it’s the people. The first step to making any place your home is developing meaningful friendships with individuals who accept and in general just care about you. There’s definitely difficulty in making friends at a new place especially, if you’re a little shy like me, but once you put yourself out there, even if it’s a little bit, you will definitely find new people. As for Hamilton, there have been so many different chances to make new friends and find people to connect with. The Orientation Trips, where Hamilton requires all first years to attend trips ranging from canoeing and hiking, to visiting art museums, allows for students to develop friendships with other students. Seriously, spending five days in the woods with no showers really brings you together like, super close. But even if your school doesn’t have an orientation trip program like Hamilton, there are definitely a lot of events that are designed for first years to meet new people. So go to them!! Attend Open Mic and Game Night! Making Hamilton my home is still a work in progress but for the most part I have a great group of friends who accept, understand and care for me.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Hamilton chapter.