At the beginning of the year, I was nervous that I had made a mistake.
I went and visited my friend at WashU and saw all the amenities they were provided. They had multiple dining halls, suite-style dorm rooms for first-years, and multiple easy ways to get off campus. Later in the year, I went on Snapchat to see a story from my friend who goes to school in Boston. She had tons of stores and dining options right at her fingertips. When I went home for breaks, I heard about my sister’s college experience and how she got her makeup and hair done for different sorority formals. I wondered if I was missing out on any of this by going to a small liberal arts college in rural Ohio.
A lot of my friends have asked me why on earth I’ve chosen to go to a school in the middle of nowhere since I come from the amazing haven of Los Angeles. Why would I give up sunshine for real seasons and the benefits of city life for Mount Vernon? Why would I go so far away from my family? What’s so special about Ohio?
I’ve written numerous articles on how the adjustment to college is tough and how it takes a lot of time to find your niche and comfort zone. I mean, I chose to go out of state and out of city because I wanted to push myself. But when I actually got to college and was doing the whole college thing, I constantly wondered whether I was in too deep.
Kenyon doesn’t have multiple dining halls and quality eateries around the campus. Nor do we have a fun college town around us with bars (RIP Cove) and shopping centers. It’s called Kamp Kenyon for a reason. It’s truly a bubble with a tight-knit community and quality education.
Sometimes I look at snap stories from my friends at USC who go out to bars with their sororities every single night, or my friends at NYU that can get incredible bagels just outside on the street. I wonder if Kenyon is a little too quiet, if there really isn’t enough to do here, if I’m possibly depriving myself of a quality college experience.
While we’re mourning the loss of the one full bar on campus, my friends at other colleges have dozens at their fingertips. While one of our few theatres is getting knocked down, my friends at NYU have Broadway at their disposal. My friends at other schools won’t have comps, never mind having to worry about doing them in trailers because the one library on campus won’t be ready until I graduate. So as I pondered all of these cons, I wondered why I was so excited to come back to Kenyon after break.
I think going to Kenyon has helped me grow in ways I couldn’t imagine. Learning to live in an environment that is so unlike anything I’ve ever experienced has opened my eyes and has really made me feel fortunate for all that I do have. And the community that is fostered due to the inevitable closeness of the school is incredible. I have never been able to find such wonderful people who are so genuine and honest and push me to be my best self. Similarly, I’ve never had professors who so truly seem to want me to succeed.
So maybe Kenyon doesn’t have all the amenities some other schools have. Maybe your friends wrinkle their noses when you tell them that you go to college in rural Ohio, that you’re an hour away from a major city, and that you only have one dining hall on campus.
I know it’s easy to panic when you hear all the benefits that other schools have, but it’s important to remember why you chose Kenyon. Kenyon is a unique place where people go out of their way to make friends and connections. I’ve talked to upperclassmen who are still constantly meeting new people. Nowhere else can you run into your roommate, your one-night stand, and maybe even your professor in the dining hall within five minutes, and if that isn’t special, I don’t know what is.
No but seriously…every school has something that another school doesn’t. While it’s easy to get caught up in the specifics of things, it’s important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and remember why you chose Kenyon. Because I’m incredibly happy and fortunate to be attending school in Gambier, Ohio with all these lovely people.
Image Credit: Ari Tooch, Giphy