Everyone told me freshman year would be difficult. As a high school senior, however, I had trouble believing that freshman year would be as difficult as my elders had described to me. I was excited to embark upon my first quarter, and the idea of having two awesome roommates, classes that I actually wanted to take, and the freedom that comes along with being a college student shone in my mind as the ultimate fantasy.
My first week was rough. As soon as my family left I felt a familiar sensation, as though I was eight years old again and I had been dropped off at a sleepover at a new friend’s house. I was overcome with intense homesickness, and since classes were slow to begin I had a lot of idle time and nothing to fill it with.
Over time, I found ways to build a regular schedule. One of my roommates and I became very close friends. Schoolwork and events associated with my sorority provided me with a basic structure to my life, but I still did not feel settled as a student here. I did not truly feel as though I belonged at Davis until my winter quarter.
The night that I truly felt at home wasn’t especially remarkable – I was in the backseat of a friend’s car on the way home from a dress rehearsal for my sorority’s philanthropy. She was speeding down Russell Boulevard, and one of my friends in the front seat was blasting a Beyoncé song from her phone. All three of us were scream-singing, and as we rolled past campus my chest became tight: I realized that I was truly happy.
This quarter has had some truly low moments: I was bedridden for a week, I had to drop a class, and I failed a midterm. However, the advice that I received in high school was true: college is an extreme sport with a mix of ecstatic highs and heart-wrenching lows. My worst moments have been accompanied by my very best. I have been shown unconditional love when I needed it most by the amazing women I have befriended since moving to Davis.
Cover image source: Pexels, Sebastian Voortman