Deadlines, Dorm Rooms, and the First Day

            Since this blog is for all of you, I suppose I should start by explaining what I’m going to talk about – and what I’m not going to talk about. If you want to know how to get into Harvard, this blog isn’t for you. I have another blog at admissionswithanattitude.blogspot.com that offers tips and advice for getting into college.

This blog is about what life is like once you’re here – life as a university student, life as a Harvard student, and life as me. It’s written for entertainment and personal purposes, so the people I know can keep up with me and anyone who wants to know what it’s like here can get a taste of things.

The plan right now is that I update this once a week, starting now. I may be a couple days off on that, since I have no idea right now what my schedule will be like, but I will do my best to be consistent. And please feel free to comment, especially if you have any suggestions – I will keep them in mind!

            I moved into Harvard yesterday; I’ve been here less than twenty-four hours. First impressions? Well, it’s big – not big as a campus as much as big in the sense that it’s very unfamiliar. I don’t know anyone outside the people I met yesterday, and I don’t remember half their names; I’m pretty sure I know how to get to the two buildings I went to yesterday, but that’s about all; and I’ve got a million things to do and no idea how to do them. It’s not overwhelming – as long as I don’t think about it too much.

            That’s the bad part. The good part is that the people I have met are from North Dakota, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California, Alaska, Puerto Rico, England and Israel. I can’t really say that I know them yet, but I’m sure we’ll all become friends over time. Everybody is friendly and interesting, and we’re all excited to be here.

            Something I should explain: we don’t officially start classes for another two weeks. This week is freshman orientation – basically a bunch of meetings that have to be gotten out of the way – and next week is ‘shopping period’, where we try out different classes to see which we think are the best fit for us. So right now I don’t even know what classes I’m taking.

            And of course I’m homesick. I still remember the time I first started going to Sunday School by myself, and after a few weeks my mother and I discovered it was easier for me if I left her than it was the other way around. I think that still holds. I can handle walking away in the airport for two months, but watching them walk away for three months hurt a lot more. I’m sure having nothing particularly important to do for hours at a time probably isn’t helping my brooding mood – there are good and bad parts of starting classes late.

            I think most everyone here is having that trouble. We worked hard to get here, and we are thankful that we made it, but the day you have to say goodbye you start wishing you didn’t have to go, wondering what would have happened if you’d stayed closer to home. Academic opportunities and world-class facilities suddenly seem insignificant compared with sheer proximity to home. But we did, in fact, choose to come here, and so here we are, and here we will be – some of us until Thanksgiving.

            And so, to all of my friends and family out there, I miss you! And to everyone reading this for advice or insight or entertainment or whatever it may be, don’t underestimate home-sickness. Even if you’re independent and ready, you’ll find it waiting to jump on you. But don’t overestimate it, either. Separation is part of life in a world separated from itself. It’s also necessary for growth and independence.

            Well, I’d better stop talking for now. Next week I’ll have fewer (hopefully) philosophic ramblings and more actual information, since I’ll have more than a few hours to pull from. I hope everyone has a great week, and please keep reading!

            PS – The pictures are of my dorm room – I have a single. :)