When I left my home in rural North Carolina for Hillsdale College in Michigan last summer, I knew I was in for a challenge. What I didn’t know was that I was embracing a journey. While my first two weeks were arduous, my first semester experience changed my life in several important ways that have helped me become a stronger individual socially, morally, and practically.
The biggest change I encountered upon arriving at Hillsdale was the vast diversity of the student body; in fact, the freshman class represented every state in the Union. As a homeschooled debate competitor, I had prior experience with a national body of students. But nothing that could prepare me for the sight which met my eyes on Aug. 24, 2014. I remember being overwhelmed, but also sharing the sentiment with others. As I watched other students stare teary-eyed after their families, the reality of the situation came over me.
I was resolved, though I missed my family dearly, to avoid nostalgia. My rationale was that there was nothing I could do about the situation. I should concentrate on the academic challenges ahead of me, rather than on what I couldn’t help. Whenever my mother tells me that she wishes I were with her, I always reply that my being away at college is best because it helps me to better myself. Leaving for college is not quite as melancholy as it may seem at first blush.
I have also met some amazing friends at Hillsdale. Whether I’d been celebrating, worshiping, studying, stressed or even in the proverbial “depths of despair,” one thing remained true: I could rely on my friends at college to see me through. The best part is that this “extended family” will be around for years to come; indeed, college facilitates lifetime contacts. While sub-zero temperatures exist outside the brick walls of the college, it is comforting to know that the people within are so encouraging and warm-hearted.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for me at Hillsdale has been the deadlines. Last semester I juggled five academic classes, debate, extracurricular activities, my library job and volunteer commitments. Time management was perhaps the greatest skill that I mastered over the course of that first semester. Many students struggled with the challenge; I found that, together, we formed study groups and overcame the obstacles together. We became a team. Personally, I believe that this is a small illustration of the much larger game inherent to our lives as humans: We’re all playing for America and, still more importantly, we serve on God’s team — that itself is beyond comparison. College has helped me to realize that I have an important place within my society and that I exist as part of a mission bigger than both myself and my school. Such an experience not only justifies attending college post-high school — it necessitates it.
I wouldn’t trade my college experience for anything in the world. In fact, I’m quite looking forward to what the future holds for me there. My experience has been not only educational, but life-changing in so many ways — from dorm life at Simpson Residence to the classes in Lane and Kendall Halls. I chose to attend college because I thought it would facilitate my mental, social and physical development; so far, that has been abundantly true. I plan to stay because, well, “it’s the people.”