Three years ago I moved into Old Dominion University’s Gresham Hall, met with a roommate I didn’t know, was in a city that I was unfamiliar with and barely enough semblance of self to get me by.
But now, even knowing how scared I was those first few months, I wouldn’t take anything back. As I prepare for an early graduation in December, I’ve done some serious self-reflection.
Courtesy HC ODU
After three years that constantly rode the line between sane and insane, preparing for my last semester was overwhelmingly…. Underwhelming. I expected it to be at least a little crazy, the pressure to pass, the pressure to finally leave the city and definitely pressure to have a job waiting for me when I graduate. But instead, I felt like I have every year, a sense of calm that comes with the hectic life of college. When everyone around you also feels like their life is ending, it doesn’t seem so dramatic.
I’m still taking 15 credits, I’m still in classes I don’t particularly want to be in (looking at you, Rhetorical Studies), but knowing this is my last time I have to do any of this has brought me a great sense of relief. I definitely don’t feel as pressured to get every little assignment turned in on time.
My major goal (other than passing my classes), though, is to experience as much as Norfolk as possible before I leave. Growing up in a super small town, we didn’t have a ton of hidden gems with the big city appeal that Norfolk brought me.
And like your average college cliches, I’ve had my heart broken, I’ve pulled all-nighters for classes, I’ve lost friends. But I’ve also met the best people I’ve ever met, worked harder than I’ve ever worked, and did some really great things in my organizations.
More importantly, I have a more clear understanding of who I am and what I want to do. I’m not exactly sure of where I will end up, but as a journalism major, you can’t be too confident about things like that.
So, this final semester, my final descent into adulthood, I find myself at local breweries (O’Connor Brewing) and gelato shops (Strawberry Fields). And as I try to eat at my favorite local restaurants and spend as much time with friends as I can, I also sport all of my favorite ODU shirts, filled with an immense amount of pride in my school and myself.