Dear Oneonta State,
I can remember the first time I stepped foot onto your campus. I was a junior or senior in high school, with absolutely no clue where I wanted to go or where I would end up. The thought of choosing the place I’d be living for the next four years of my life left me feeling uneasy. Visit after college visit, I finally decided you were where I wanted to be.
The next time I walked onto your campus was at Freshmen Orientation where I had the opportunity to meet some awesome people. If I hadn’t been sure on decision day that you were the place for me, I was now.
Move-in day was just as hectic as imagined. My parents dropped me off as early as possible as an attempt to avoid the rush – which, in reality, didn’t make much difference. I felt a mix of emotions when sending my parents off, knowing I wouldn’t see them again for quite some time. Living with someone new in such a tight space didn’t always settle well with me, but it wasn’t as bad as I had expected. From then on, my roommate and I anxiously sat in our beds and wondered what we’d do with our time. As the next year came and went, there’s so much I want to thank you for.
Thank you for leading me to some of the best people I’ve ever met.
Whether it was someone I met in class or on a weekend out, you led me to some amazing people I could’ve never expected to meet.
Thank you for introducing me to the friends I now consider my family.
The friends I spend each weekend with, and basically every waking moment, are the friends I know will last a lifetime.
Thank you for the endless amounts of laughter.
Considering 15 minutes of laughter each day can burn anywhere from 10 to 40 calories, there’s my workout.
Thank you for helping me be my own person.
You have taught me to follow the beat of my own drum and to not to care what anyone else thinks.
Thank you for blessing my taste buds with the Long Island Rancher.
…While it lasted.
Thank you for helping me become more independent.
When I was in high school, I often questioned whether I’d be able to survive on my own without my parents. You confirmed that I can, and I will.
Thank you for letting me experience cold mozzarella cheese on pizza.
Of course the calorie intake is high, but who’s to say that’s not worth it?
Thank you to every professor who has helped me along the way.
Without their support and guidance, I don’t know where I’d be.
Thank you for teaching me how to study – just kidding.
As hard as I’ve tried, I don’t think I’ll ever figure it out.
Thank you for showing me how good Mac and Cheese tastes on a hot dog.
Don’t knock it til you try it.
Thank you for making me realize how fast time flies.
I can’t seem to comprehend where the time goes. But, you know what they say… Time flies when you’re having fun.
Thank you for showing me I wouldn’t want to imagine myself anywhere else but here.
Four years may seem like a long time, but it’s not. Soon enough I’ll be crossing the stage, diploma in hand, reminiscing on every experience I’ve had here. And when that time comes, I will leave you knowing I’m taking with me some of the greatest memories of my life.
“You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place, like you’ll not only miss the people you love, but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.”
Sincerely,
A Thankful Red Dragon