School started last week and it got me thinking about when I started college in the Fall of 2002. I was living away from home and pretty darn excited about it. I was having fun making friends with other students I had met at orientation, my roommate, and other students in my classes. I was excited to be away from home and living on my own the first time... the midnight visits to Denny’s, walks around the campus, watching movies until the wee hours of the morning were all frequent occurrences in my life. I called my mom at the end of the 2nd week of classes and told her "I don't know who said that you should live up life in high school, because clearly, they didn't go to college. I swear this is the best time of my life!"
Every August, sleepy campuses wake up from their summer siesta and prepare to welcome a new group of freshmen and the returning students from years past. It's a great time of year. It rejuvenates the scholars, educators, and administrators on the campus. Students come in refreshened, excited, and joyous to be in an atmosphere of learning. It was great to be a student while I was in college, there was so much to do, to see, to experience, but now I'm an administrator it's wondrous to watch young adults learn and grow... not just in the classroom. I think it's incredible to see what they learn living with new people, living on their own, joining clubs and organizations, taking up the mantle of leadership. It's just mind boggling to know I've been there, I've done that. It's a lot to accomplish in 4 years, but man, it was amazing. I hope everyone starting school this year can have a wondrous, joyful, and adventurous experience going to college.
