People are always so afraid of change. I’ve never been like that; I’ve always been that person that’s ready for the next big thing, the next big move, the next big adventure. I couldn’t wait to graduate from high school and move to university. Likewise, I’m so excited to graduate from university and start the next big chapter. But as I sit here in my room that won’t be my room eight months from now, in a town that I will probably never live in again, the nostalgia is overwhelming.
My usual anticipation for moving on is dwindling as I cling desperately to this phase of my life. When else will it be socially acceptable to sleep in until noon only to roll out of bed, put on the relatively cleanest pants in my dresser, and zombie-walk to lecture? At what other point in my life will I get wine drunk on a Wednesday only to crawl into bed and binge-watch shitty reality television? (Honestly hoping I never grow out of this habit.) These next eight months mark a conclusion, a change so drastic I couldn’t even try to tell you where I’m going to be at this time next year. And, for maybe the first time in my life, I just want it all to slow down. Because this place has become so much more than just a stepping stone, a place to get you where you’re going. It has become my home.
I know exactly where to step to avoid the creaky floorboards when I need to pee in the middle of the night. I know that the cupboard above the fridge is mine because no one else can reach it and I know the front door is always unlocked. But more than that, I know that Tuesdays are always busy at the grocery store—but it’s worth the 10% student discount. I know which classrooms have the comfy chairs and which profs grade the easiest and I know the heat is always cranked in the arts and humanities building no matter what the temperature is outside.
This place is so much more than just a school. It is an opportunity to meet people that will change your life. It is the girl sitting next to you in lecture that asks for a pen. It is the soph that inspired you to get involved. It is the tutorial section that became your closest friend group. Whether it’s through a drunken haze on Broughdale during HOCO or over a cold beer and music at Rick’s, this place brings people together.
Because this place is so much more than just a school. It is the people that go here and the energy they share and the vibes that resonate with everyone that passes through. It is the sophs banging on your door at 7AM during O-Week and the struggle to find an empty table at Club Weldon during exam week. It is Ceeps on Thursdays and Saturdays and Spoke Bagels all day every day. Western isn’t just a school. Western is you.
Related Articles
- An Open Letter To My First Year Self (As I Enter Fourth Year)
- 7 Things University Students Look Forward to When Returning to School
- “I Was Here” — Leaving Your Mark And Letting Go
Want more HCW? Check us out on social media!