With graduation drawing near, the reality of leaving Oxford is only becoming more apparent. For months I have wanted nothing more than to be at main campus, to see more than the same 900 faces everyday, and being able to go somewhere, anywhere, and not have to be in a car for an hour in order to get there. But moving to Atlanta and attending main campus is going to have some positives and negatives, so here are some aspects of Oxford that I think I might actually miss.
Both geographically and emotionally. It could be 10:30 at night and my friends and I spontaneously plan a movie night or a friend is in desperate need of a DT. None of these plans have to be premeditated because its no more than a five-minute walk to any dorm on campus. However, when we arrive at main campus some of us will be at Clairmont, others in off-campus housing, all requiring a bit more of a commute than our current situation. Which brings me to point two.
This is both a positive and a negative. Finally, some new faces, but this also comes at the loss of some friendly faces we aren’t quite ready to say goodbye to. Being at Oxford you develop many friendships from the mere fact of seeing some people in the same context almost every day, but once we get to main campus the likelihood of seeing these same people in passing significantly decreases. Even those who we are close too are going to be harder to keep in contact with.
Next year is going to be like starting freshman year all over again. I don’t know where any of the buildings are, let alone classrooms. I’m not going to know any of the shortcuts and knowing me, am probably going to be late to the majority of my classes.
Going to main campus also means a whole new set of professors and advisors. A lot of students at Oxford have great connections with some of their professors because the classes are so small and there are more opportunities to meet with your professors. Trying to build relationships with new staff members at main campus is something I thought was reserved for freshman year, but instead we have to start all over.
It seems as though everyone is a part of everything at Oxford; you’re on a sports team, and a member of Circle K, while also being vice president of the business club and simultaneously the event coordinator for Volunteer Oxford. It’s so easy to get involved at Oxford that I think transitioning to main campus where there are way more people competing for the same leadership positions its going to be a little different situation.
This is not meant to take anything away from main campus. In Atlanta there are way more internship opportunities, you are closer to absolutely everything, you’ll feel like you’re going to a real college as opposed to a boarding school. There are so many positives that will come from the transition to Atlanta, but I hope in reading this you realize that Oxford really wasn’t that bad of a place to have spent your first two years of college, and as a freshman I hope you take these things and cherish them while you still can. Sounds cheesy, but this is coming from a sophomore with an impending graduation date.