My Freshmen Story is a freshmen blog series written by our talented HC Bryant staff. We decided to start this because we’ve all been in those shoes that ached in nervousness, excitement, and confusion before beginning our first day as Bryant University freshmen. We know you are about to put on those shoes and figured you’d love to know exactly what to expect…so ready for your freshmen year?
For the majority of my life I attended an international school in Accra, Ghana where I couldn’t wait for senior year to graduate with all of my best friends. No one, not even my parents, could have predicted that I would abruptly move to America towards my last year of high school.
My school in Ghana may have been an international school in terms of the curriculum, the staff, and the student body but the lives of the parents and students was also very “international”.
The majority of us were children of parents who had various professional obligations in other parts of the world. At the age of six, I was used to my parents traveling every other month for business reasons while my two older sisters lived in England and traveled around Europe.
So by the time I was in high school, I was quite used to the traveling that occurred among my family and friends in Ghana. I wanted to create for myself the lifestyle that my parents had created for us until I found out unexpectedly that I was moving to America – New Jersey to be precise. I found this out right before my senior year of high school began.
There were going to be elections in Ghana, and this was going to be only the second time the country would be voting for a president after 20 years under the leadership of a dictator. Tensions were getting high and my parents felt it would be safer for me to move to the states since all four of my siblings were already enrolled in American colleges.
Honestly, I didn’t really think much of the move when I first found out. I was actually in the States visiting family members when I found out and I thought “well I’m having fun now so moving here can’t be that bad.” Little did I know that this was far from the truth.
Living in a country and adjusting to its culture compared to merely visiting a country comprise of two very different experiences. When I started attending my new high school in Cedar Grove, New Jersey I actually hated it from the first day.
I was known as the ‘kid from Africa.’ During the first day I was asked the usual questions like “do you have giraffes living in your backyard?” I found it kind of amusing. Hey, at least people were interested in me.
However, after a year of being in that high school, living in Cedar Grove, and getting asked the same questions became tiring. It caused me to harbor a lot of resentment. Not just for the kids at my high school, but for my parents too. I began to blame them for having ruined my last year in high school or as I referred to it back then; “what was supposed to be the best year of my life.”
Once college came beckoning I could not wait to move as far away as possible from my parents. I had my eyes set on California – I was going to pretend that period of my life in an American high school did not even happen and just start off fresh.
After thinking about my decision to move west thoroughly and realizing how difficult it would be to fly back and forth to see my parents, I decided to reconsider my decision. Furthermore, flying from the east coast to Ghana is a twelve hour flight…I could only imagine how long flying from California to Ghana would be.
It was the last week in January of 2009 when I was finally accepted into all the universities in California I wished to attend. Even though my parents did not want me going that far away, they had promised me that I could go to any university in America.
One afternoon, in a swift decision I decided I was going to search for universities on the East Coast. Bryant University was one of the few universities still accepting applications. So guess what? I applied and got accepted.
Ever since I was ten I had planned that I would follow in my sisters’ footsteps and carve out my life in a way that allowed me to live in any city I desired to live in. At the age of ten, that city was Barcelona. I have always been enthralled by the city’s history, its language, and most of all the football or soccer team. When my parents made me move to America I felt like that chance to live in my ‘dream city’ had been taken away from me.
This was far from the truth. Coming to Bryant has allowed me to gain real life business experience in different cities around the world and I live with four amazing girls who I know will be my friends for a lifetime. Throughout this whole experience I learned I cannot make one human being the reason for my triumphs and tribulations or my downfalls. I am infinitely grateful for all the opportunities my parents have provided me with and still continue to provide me with today.
I could apply for an internship or a job in any country I wanted as long as I’m willing to overcome the challenges of adapting to a new culture. Moving here has helped me become independent and fearless in so many ways I never thought possible. As a senior in college I always remind myself that I am only 21, and the world is at my feet.
Guess what? We would absolutely love to hear back from you! If you are an incoming freshmen and either have questions, comments, or even would love to get started with us this fall, shoot us over an email at HerCampus@Bryant.edu, like our Her Campus Bryant University Facebook page, or comment below!