Well, hey there fellow Terriers!
My name is Julia; I’m majoring in journalism in the College of Communication and a proud member of the class of 2012. I'm happy to say that I'm going to be blogging for the Dean of Students Office…so get used to my Meryl Streep obsession, my tendency to get long-winded, fondness for obscure references, and my rabid love for any-and-everything BU.
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Well, the Orientation sessions for the class of 2014 began this week, and it got me thinking: it’s funny how much things change and don’t change in two years. Almost two years ago to the day, I stepped onto this campus for freshmen Orientation. I was the oldest of three kids and the only girl in my family. I came to Boston University from a small town in southern Maine, where I’d lived my whole life: the kind of place where it takes you an hour to run into the grocery store for a gallon of milk, because in a town that size, you can’t go to the store without bumping into everyone you know…and they always ask “How’s the family?”
Yeah, COM Group 33!
When the time for my Orientation session finally came, back in June 2008, the Celtics were in the NBA finals, and there was construction going on down Comm Ave. Today…not much has changed, at least as far as the city of Boston’s perpetual state of construction goes, and as for the C’s, well, it’s looking more and more like history will repeat itself. (BEAT LA!)
In fact, the thing that’s changed the most in those two years is yours truly. When I arrived here, I was outwardly confident, but inside, I was a nervous wreck, worried about fitting in and finding my way on campus. There’s an old saying: give a Terrier a bone, and they’ll have a bone for a day…teach a Terrier how to fetch bones and bury them, and they’ll have bones for a lifetime!
(You may be more familiar with the version of that proverb that goes “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.”) Whatever, the general theory still applies.
The Orientation Student Advisors and Program Advisors helped me a lot, and made me feel like I would be able to successfully navigate my first few days on campus without ending up hopelessly lost. They didn’t hold my hand the entire way, but they did guide me long enough that I was able to figure out my own way, a much more rewarding experience.
That’s one of the great things about Boston University. We give you all the resources you need to help yourself (like the Educational Resource Center, and Career Services, to name just two); it’s up to you to take advantage of them. You’re also free to make your own choices and, occasionally, mistakes…and, take it from me; sometimes mistakes teach you more in the long run than you would have learned if everything had gone according to your original plan. By using the guidance I got from Orientation, academic advisors, and my freshman year RA, I was able to navigate my way through my first year with only a few missteps along they way. And at the end of the two semesters, I discovered something: that outward confidence I’d arrived with at Orientation had slowly worked its way inward, and I had learned to believe in myself and walk with confidence.
When I first arrived at college, I was terrified that I would make a mistake or mess up somehow. I didn’t want to disappoint my parents, or the teachers and guidance counselors who had logged long hours with me in high school. And I didn’t want to disappoint myself. Even now, when I talk to incoming freshman or the high school seniors from my hometown that I’ve kept in touch with, I hear this secret fear over and over again: what if I mess it up somehow? What if I make a mistake?
Guess what? You’re going to. It’s inevitability. We all mess up sometimes.
Nobody’s perfect (although I personally think Meryl Streep comes pretty close…didn’t I tell you I’m obsessed with her?)
Now before you freak out and call me a pessimist, think about this: so you accidentally lock yourself out of your room after a shower. You’ll not only learn the phone number for your RA on call, but you’ll also probably never forget your keys again. Say you’re undecided, and you take a class you don’t like it? Guess what? You just narrowed down your choices in majors even more, making your life a little easier. Maybe you’re even going to sleep through your alarm and miss a quiz. Trust me, it’s probably not the end of the world – and you can bet you’ll learn quickly to set multiple alarms. ( I can personally attest to that last one...I learned it the hard way during my second semester of freshman year. Oops...)
The most important thing about mistakes is what you take away from them; the things that make you a better, stronger person. College is about figuring out who you are, who you aren’t, and what you want to do with your life. It’s about finding the people who make you really feel good about who you are, not just the kids who are fun to go out with on a Friday night. And maybe it’ll take you a little while to figure out who those people really are. But you’ll never know for sure until you put yourself out there, not only with people, but with classes and activities too. (For example, if you had told me two years ago I’d be willingly waking up at 7am three times a week to film a morning news show for BUTV, I would have laughed in your face. But now it’s one of the best parts of my week!) Classes, minors, friends, even what your favorite sandwich order is in the dining hall...these things take time to figure out. Trial and error eventually leads to trial and success, guys. And it’s never too late to start.
Take chances! Make mistakes! Get messy! (Please, please, please tell me I'm not the only person who watched this show as a child...)
My journey at Boston University is halfway over. (I’m not tearing up…I swear.) For the class of 2014, it’s just beginning. For some others, the journey is entering its final year, or maybe only its second year. But whatever point you are at in your personal journey through your life and time at Boston University, put yourself out there! You're always going to remember your time here , but wouldn't it be cool if BU never forgot you, either? We're all extraordinary people with so much to offer- that's why we're here. I guess the bottom line here is: Carpe BU, you guys. Seize the day, and don't waste a second.
You can always start by dropping by and visiting the DOS gang here in the GSU. We're a friendly bunch...not to mention the fact that we usually have a jar full of BlowPops, and we ALWAYS have a delicious variety of coffee flavors. (Just don’t ever take the last Chocolate Glazed Donut flavored coffee…please? That’s my favorite!) Or ask us any questions/share comments you might have in…well, in the comments section.
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Once I come up with a unique, witty-sounding sign-off, I'll start using that*, but until then, I'll just say...see you around, BU.
Cheers!
Julia
*In the spirit of Katie Couric, who ran a contest when she took over the CBS Evening News back in 2006, hit me up with any suggestions you guys might have...because God knows I've wracked my brain and haven't come up with anything good yet.
