Starting college was an exciting new chapter of my life. It brought me many exciting opportunities and amazing friends, while also teaching me to adapt to a new way of life. In the beginning of March, I was in my daily routine with stress from school filling my mind around midterms. It was not until a couple days before spring break that all of my worries changed from being class-related, to coronavirus-related. The year 2020 has turned out to be not what anyone had expected, putting everyone’s regular lives on hold. As a freshman in college who was enjoying her “Freshman experience,” I was not quite ready to let go two months early. Here are some things that I wish I still had time to do during my freshman year at Madison.
- Mifflin Block Party
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UW Madison is highly known for the enormous school spirit and social life. I was introduced to this right away at the beginning of the football season. Getting all decked out in red and white, attending the crazy tailgates, participating at the end of the 3rd quarter in Jump Around and the celebratory parties after the game are definitely some highlights from my first year of college. Later in the fall semester, I was able to experience Freak Fest in Madison as well. Being able to dress up in costumes and go watch a bunch of concerts was definitely a night I will not forget. The other infamous Madison event happens in the Spring. The Mifflin Block Party is something that tons of college students were looking forward to as the winter season finally came to an end. Since it is student-ran, there was still a chance that it could happen because it was being held on April 25th. But now, with the “Safer at Home” order in effect until April 24th, the chances that it still will happen are extremely low.
- Experience spring on campus
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Spring is definitely one of the best seasons in Wisconsin in my opinion. It is fun to see everyone come out of the long winter hibernation and go crazy, enjoying the nice weather by being outside. The temperature is finally getting warmer, the grass is becoming green once again and the trees and flowers are coming into full bloom. After a long winter season of trudging through the freezing cold and snow to classes, I was excited for when everyone would be out and about around campus, either soaking up the sun on Bascom hill, relaxing in a hammock on Lakeshore Path, doing homework outside at Memorial Union or getting ice cream and watching the sunset at the Terrace with friends. Although I will be able to do this for 3 more years, I feel like this was part of the “Freshman Experience’” at Madison that I will miss out on.
- Going to a badger basketball game
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Luckily, I made it to at least one football game, hockey game and volleyball game throughout the school year, but I never got around to attending a basketball game. The team was very good this year so I was banking on seeing a March Madness game, but just like most campus events, March Madness was canceled too, leaving another college activity that students look forward to being canceled. A lot of people, not just students, get excited around March to watch the NCAA tournament. Placing bets on your favorite teams, filling out brackets and having viewing parties fill up the boring month of March is a big event for lots of Americans. The cancellation of March Madness was even more disappointing for the badgers because they were predicted to win the tournament.
- Freshman Spring Break Trip
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This spring break was the first vacation that I planned to go on with just friends. We booked the hotel and the flight all by ourselves and we were so proud to have no help from our parents. Organizing a trip to Fort Lauderdale, we were looking forward to it for months, being able to get tan and relax on the beach. I always hear adults and my older friends talking about their fun college spring break trips and I was so excited to experience my own. This was all until the coronavirus closed all the beaches and forced us all into quarantine. Not only did I not get to go to Florida, but I have to now spend 5 months trapped in quarantine away from all of my friends.
- Go to a frat formal
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The average outfit for a college girl is usually sweats on the weekdays and jeans with a tank top for nights out on the weekend. An occasion to dress up fancy only comes around once in a while for college students. After prom in high school, there are not many given opportunities for people to dress up fancy for a night except for weddings. Fraternity and university club formals give college girls a reason to be able to dress up fancy again. It may not be as exciting for guys, but for most girls, we get excited to go pick out a pretty dress, have an excuse to wear some heels and excessively do our makeup and hair. My co-ed service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, was throwing a formal in April at Danny’s Pub in downtown Madison. My friends and I were excited to go dress shopping, bring dates and have a great night together. Sadly, the university closing for the semester also meant the formal was canceled, so we’ll just have to wait another year for the next one.
Although my freshman year ended earlier than expected, I still loved and cherished every minute of it. I am so thankful for all of my amazing new friends, being able to attend a Big 10 school and a boat load of other memories I made during this year that will last me a lifetime. I cannot wait until next semester to see what UW Madison has in store for me.