Month: September 2019

The first week of college has been a very challenging—but yet very exciting—new journey for me. I thought that the biggest transition for me would be living in a small room with three other girls and sleeping in a twin-size bed—but it wasn’t.

The most difficult thing for me so far is getting use to Canvas (an online platform that facilitates additional communication between professors and students about courses) and waking up for my 8 a.m. class.

Also I got to experience my first G.A.M.E march. It was a very long walk and it was hot outside, but I think it was worth it because not only did I get a free scarf (see photo above)—I also got to experience my first of many Longwood traditions.

I am so excited for my next four years at Longwood!

In the past, being away from home hasn’t always come easy to me. From summer camps to retreats, I’ve always found myself becoming homesick even if it was only a couple of nights. Before move-in day I was extremely nervous about how I was going to react to the new living situation. I was afraid of how I was going to get used to my roommate/suitemates, making new friends and, most of all, missing my family.

I’ve now been at Longwood for more than a week, and I can truthfully say that I’ve never felt more at home. Ever since move-in day, everyone at Longwood has made me feel so welcome! Everyone’s always smiling here, and they made me feel like family.

This year I have the privilege of living in Frazer, which is the most recently renovated residence hall at Longwood. Actually, the other buildings are nice as well.

Living in the dorms has given me the opportunity to make lots of lifelong friends. It’s fun to know that your friends live in the same room or building as you because there are plenty of places to hang out without even leaving your building.

Now, I’m not going to lie. Farmville isn’t the most entertaining place I’ve ever been. But over this past week, I’ve made so many friends—and they make living here interesting! For fun, my new friends and I enjoyed a night of watching Bachelor in Paradise together! We bonded over arguing couples, countless amounts of homework and junk food. It was the highlight of my week.

I can’t wait for more nights like that one, and I’m so excited for everything else Longwood has in store for me!

I knew Longwood was meant for me when I came to campus on a school field trip last winter.

The tour guide was so friendly, and I realized how beautiful Longwood was. I live very close to the campus so at one point I was hesitant about coming to Longwood. I thought I wouldn’t get a new experience. However, when I stepped on campus it didn’t even feel like I was close to home.

One thing I really like about Longwood is that it’s not too big but not too small. Another thing I worried about was not finding friends and fitting in, but I think I have found some lifelong friends already. Honestly, college is about meeting new people and growing out of your shell a little.

My favorite thing to do around Longwood would probably be going to the D-Hall with my friends for dinner. My favorite food in the dining hall would have to be the ramen.

My favorite class was wind symphony because I love playing my clarinet. Even though I love band, I decided to drop the class so that I could focus on my core classes.

Also if you are not a morning person, do not sign up for 8 am classes.

I’ve been at Longwood for a week, and I’ve met so many different but cool people. I really love Longwood.

After going through my first week as a college student at Longwood, I have come to realize that I can officially call it home.

Going from being an only child and having my own room to moving into a small dorm room with three other girls had my anxiety up to the max. I was very nervous that my room wouldn’t feel like home and that I would get homesick very easily. But that was not the case at all.

My dorm room couldn’t get any cozier, cooler or safe. My roommate and suitemates have helped me a lot with making our dorm and dorm room feel like home—and I am very grateful.

Although, at this writing, I can’t hang anything on our walls until the paint is completely dry, I am very pleased with how my room looks. I have been able to create the dream room that I never was able to have at home.

I am beyond excited to spend the rest of the year in my new home!

 

Over the course of this year I am going take you on my adventure of my freshman year. Let’s get started!

This first post is all about meeting your roommate and suitemates for the very first time. Meeting your roommate is like waking up Christmas morning. You are anxious to see what you get.

I was very nervous about meeting my roommate, Dylan, who’s on the left in the photo above. I had no idea if my roommate and I would get along. Once I found out who my roommate was, we started to email each other to get to know each other. We communicated through email not only to get to know each other but also to make sure that we didn’t bring two of everything.

After emailing each other back and forth, move-in day finally came, and I was ready to put a face to the name. We get along very well, and we respect each other’s spaces. 

I’m so excited to be sharing my experiences of my first year at Longwood! It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to write about because of all of the wonderful experiences I have already had during my first few days.

The first full day at Longwood, I was part of New Lancer Days, an activity that helps you meet fellow students and a peer mentor to help you through your first year. My favorite activity was the pep rally. It was a moment when the entire Class of 2023 was in the same room. Seeing so many friendly faces was what made that day so special.

At Longwood, freshmen sign up for coaching groups that are led by a peer mentor and university staff. My peer mentor, Lauren (in the bright green shirt in the photo above with our coaching group), told me about how the first few days at Longwood are so important and how wonderful it is to have a group of friends you already know. I now know I have people I can turn to if I ever need help with anything, and that is something I will never take for granted.

Moving into my dorm was very exciting as well, thanks to the help of the upperclassmen. My family and I pulled up to my hall, and they came rushing over to help us move in. It was such an inviting experience, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that next year.

My roommate and suitemates have been so helpful with moving in, and I love them for that. I first met my roommate and suitemates online. When I met them in person, it was so reassuring to learn all the similarities we share.

It is especially reassuring that I have known one of my suitemates since high school. I feel very privileged to share a dorm with her. We had a lot of fun at the late-night New Lancer Days event with a mini golf course, two inflatables, lawn games and more!

I’m looking forward to all my experiences at Longwood, and I’m so proud of everything I have been a part of so far.

Move-in day was a whole mix of emotions: nervousness, excitement, stress and so on. I don’t think there is any one thing that can really prepare you for it.

It started off with waking up in our hotel room in Farmville. We had driven to Farmville the night before so we wouldn’t have to leave home on move-in day during the wee hours of the morning! We were first in line on campus at 6:45 a.m. (I highly recommend getting in line as early as possible!)

Part of the reason we got there so early is that I wanted to be the first to move in and I wanted to get all of my things moved in as quickly as possible! The other part is that the marketing and communications staff from Longwood had reached out to both of my parents because, when they were students here at Longwood, they both lived in the high rises!

Throughout the morning, we were followed by a photographer, and my parents were also interviewed by a videographer. It’s pretty cool that I get to live in the newly renovated Frazer, which is where my dad also lived when he was a student.

In the midst of all of that, my roommate, suitemates and I were trying to get everything moved into our room. After getting most of our things settled, my family and I, along with my roommate and her family, went to lunch at Pino’s, a local Italian restaurant very close to campus that I can see from my dorm room.

My parents then wished me the best and started the journey back to Yorktown after a long day.

I know that this is just the beginning, but I am very excited for all of the memories and friendships that I will create during my time here at Longwood!

The transition from a private boarding school to college was much different from what I expected it to be. (I’m on the left in the photo.)

I attended Christchurch School in Saluda, Virginia, for all four years of high school, and I expected my initial time at Longwood to be exactly the same as when I was a freshman there—but that hasn’t been the case.

So far, being at Longwood has been an emotional time for me, with feelings of excitement, nervousness and many others. 

In 2014, I was a kid from the city going off to a school an hour away from home. It was the first time I’d been away from home for an extended period, and I have to say that it was a scary moment in my young life. I was the only one from my middle school to go there, and I didn’t know what to expect.

Even though it was hard, that first year of high school was very beneficial to my maturity and character. Throughout the years at Christchurch, I continued to grow, learning how to manage my time, how to live with someone and many other skills.

However, there is a difference between college and boarding school. I’m adjusting—but I’m still trying to figure everything out. This learning period has been fun, effective and efficient thanks to New Lancer Days and the help of the community that I knew was going to be here for me.

I am so glad that people are friendly and will make sure you aren’t lost. On top of this I have met so many people who are easy to talk to—many of them from the area where I live in Richmond, which has made me feel even more comfortable.

I was worried about making the transition to college despite my high-school experience, but it has been a lot better than I expected. I am so ready to see what the year is going to bring. I can’t wait see everything this campus has to offer, and I am ready to experience everything this year with open arms. 

Over the past few days I have felt many emotions. Here are a few:

• Sadness over leaving my pets behind (and my family, of course, but they know where I am and how to work a phone)
• Excitement about what’s to come
• Nervousness about the first day of classes

But let me tell you one continuous feeling I have had this whole college experience so far. Hunger. I truly don’t think I have ever wanted real food more in my life.

What I miss most about the food at home is a restaurant called Don Pepe—where my favorite dish is the shrimp chimichangas!—and just a home-cooked meal. I especially miss the huge brunch my dad makes every Sunday after church.

Sure, we have D-Hall, but let’s be honest here—it’s D-Hall food. Although, if you ever get a chance to try the tortellini and the grilled cheese, you won’t be too disappointed. I should know. I have had both for lunch and dinner more than once already.

I wouldn’t exactly say I chose Longwood.

I’m a first-generation college student, so college seemed like a stretch. I wasn’t sure of even the simplest of things—like how to apply.

Because of that, I initially committed to the University of Lynchburg because they were the first college to contact me—even though I’d never heard of that school before. I attended a scholarship award ceremony (they gave me a $27,000 scholarship), and I loved the campus.

A few months went by, and people I knew were being accepted to their dream schools—but it didn’t feel the same for me. I procrastinated about applying to other schools and filling out my mandatory Lynchburg paperwork because I simply didn’t know what I truly wanted from college.

I had heard about Longwood and decided to apply. I was accepted, so now I had two options. Still nothing felt right for me. Then came the FAFSA deadline, which meant I had to make a last-minute decision. Impulsively, I cancelled my commitment to Lynchburg and committed to Longwood before I even stepped foot on campus.

I had no reason behind my choice to switch to Longwood. My process of choosing my college was very confusing, and the worries of, “What if I chose the wrong college?” never stopped until move-in day.

I am now at Longwood, and I have no doubt that I chose the perfect place for me. I’m thankful that my impulsive, unknowledgeable choices led me to where I truly feel I belong.