By Cate Jackson
Editor-At-Large
Editor-At-Large
Ah, high school! Seven 45-minute periods of familiar faces, moldy carpet and yellow chalk. And who can forget those crowded hallways? How about the sagging flesh of the lunch ladies? I personally loved the way the ceiling used to fall down during both PE and band practice. Such a joyful interruption! Who didn’t enjoy that hall where all the boys stared down the girls and rated them on their ass-jiggle, and how about that one assistant principal who dressed like he was a cast member of Grease? Every. Single. Friday.
Unfortunately, the stench of the girls’ bathroom that permeated my denim jacket has since disappeared, and my senior hat that I adored so much has done nothing but gather dust in the two years since I’ve graduated. I’ve forgotten some of the things that were so important to me for four years of my life. I was so ready to move on!
Yet coming to Housatonic wasn’t that big of a deal to me. I had actually planned on attending a four-year college in a different state, but the airhead in me prevailed, and I didn’t bother fixing the 10 billion problems on my FAFSA. That plan went nowhere quick. Housatonic was my fallback plan, and it wasn’t a bad thing at all. I wasn’t deterred. Oh no, not me!
The only thing that mattered was that I was in COLLEGE. What a pretentious teenager I was, prancing around my very messy room, refusing to clean it (much to my mother’s chagrin) because, as I so modestly put it, “I’m a college girl now, Mama!” It was going to be a whole new world, one where I was in control. In control people don’t need to vacuum under their beds.
True to form, I procrastinated and registered about 4 minutes before classes started. I remember the hustle with financial aid, the maze of hallways making me dizzy, the faces all blending together, and the artwork being my only landmarks. I hated having to ask a strange teacher I didn’t know if I could join her class. I didn’t like the freakin’ four hour gap between my classes. People didn’t bother to tell me that no one takes classes on a Friday.
We all get confused from time to time. (Image courtesy of Getty Images)I soon began to miss the familiarity of my dark, dank high school. Yeah, Housatonic has air conditioning and you can go to the cafeteria whenever you want and there’s not only internet here, but high-speed internet on computers that were made after 1988 nonetheless. But what about my alma mater, Stratford High? I missed the scent of cigarette smoke outside of every doorway, that T-shaped hallway at the top of the steps in the English wing where there was literally a stand-still and the massive amount of graffiti in the girls’ locker-room. I had wanted to leave those red lockers and crowded staircases behind forever. But soon the realization hit that I had.
Like the old saying goes, time heals all wounds. I had a new boyfriend, I loved my psychology teacher, I had a real job and I was making friends at every corner. I was independent, I was brave, and I was invincible!
As un-collegiate as HCC may seem, we’re one of the best community colleges in Connecticut and you can’t beat the education you receive here for the price we’re paying. There’s plenty of diversity, there’s clubs galore, and the cafeteria food can make your tummy grumble like never before, just like other colleges. I’m totally used to it, and for the sake of being sappy, I love the fact that I’ve gone here for the last two years. I’m comfortable, I’m saving tons of money and all the new friends I’ve made don’t live in 22 different states.
But lest we forget, there are still those who are making their first foray into college life. There are still the same old problems that I faced (and forgot about), and a few new ones. Haydees Caraballo, a 2006 graduate of Stratford High School, at first swore that Housatonic was just like high school. She was all fresh faced and fancy free until I asked her if she had any problems with classes. She admitted to me that she had a struggle getting in to pre-calc. “There was an 8 a.m. class, and a 5 p.m. class. The 8 a.m. was full, so now I’ve got like eight hours between my two classes and it’s just boring.” Julie Moran, who took a year off after graduating Central High School in 2005, stated that she didn’t know anyone. “I didn’t schedule any of my classes with any of my friends. It’s not like high school where you see the same people year after year. I had no idea where I was going half the time.”
While we were talking, another person chimed in. He ran away almost instantly, but he was heard loud and clear. “The maps on the wall suck!” Perhaps they do. A slightly seasoned HCC student, Erica Skapley, remembers getting lost. But she also remembers making friends. “We connected just because we had the same problems, and we could laugh about it together. They didn’t make me feel so alone.” Now Erica helps out her freshman cousin, Amanda Hernandez, who has adjusted to college life here at Housatonic just beautifully.
After asking around, I seemed to find that the most common five problems are registration, adding/dropping classes, not knowing people, the parking garage situation, and things to do between classes.
Time for Cate’s Word to the Wise! There are some things I’ve found particularly helpful in my previous five semesters in HCC. The most important thing to do is to register as early as you can, in order to get the classes you not only need, but that are interesting to you. This means submitting your FAFSA on time, so you can get as much financial assistance as possible. Also so you don’t get dropped from your classes just before school starts for not paying your tuition.
Adding and dropping a class is really tough, not only the first time, but every time you have to do it. The most bothersome things I’ve heard about this particular problem is the long wait in line and getting a teacher’s signature. While I can’t do anything about the lines, I do know that you just have to bite the bullet. Putting off getting the teacher’s signature that second week of school only makes things harder. Find out the Professor’s office hours by checking on the website directory at http://www.hcc.commnet.edu/dir/index.asp and then maybe shooting them an email or giving them a call. Not only is it much quicker than waiting around till 8 PM for a professor to show up, its easier than having to ask them face to face.
Being in a new place full of new faces and new situations is just one of the difficult things we have to do in life. But you combat it by putting your best foot forward. Confidence is key! People are attracted to someone who looks like they know what they’re doing. We were always taught as children not to talk to strangers, but in this case, it’s really okay. Usually, relating to someone about things you have in common helps. Jimmy Coleman, an HCC student for the last 3 years, said he’d speak to just about anyone who looked at him. If that’s not your stick, participating in class is a great way to make friends. Professors in English 101 and 102 often have you do group work so you can get to know your classmates, but don’t socialize too much!
Everyone knows the parking lot was invented to drive students clinically insane, but you can beat this too! Just stay calm. There’s no need for road rage!
“I have an early morning class and a late afternoon class and it pisses me off that I can’t leave, come back, and still be on the same floor,” said Coleman. That’s true, but think of all the exercise you’ll be getting running up and down those uneven steps! Asthmatic? That’s okay! Take the elevator and make new friends in close quarters. Try to arrive at school at least a half hour before your class starts, especially if it’s any time after 11 and only leave the parking garage when absolutely necessary. No need to cause yourself more stress.
What about the four hour gap in between classes? Besides the obvious studying that you know you’re not going to do, there are many other options. You could always have lunch in the cafeteria or any one of the restaurants downtown. Hanging out in the library isn’t so bad, because you can always lose yourself in a good book or search for the perfect movie to watch on your portable DVD player, if you own one, that is. Sitting outside in the courtyard and painting your toenails isn’t so bad either.
Another HCC student, Marc Conte, who graduated a New York high school in 2003, said he just got up and walked around downtown during his downtime between classes. “I’m comfortable, even with all the crazies running around.” His friend, who asked he not be named, said that he was scared to walk around Bridgeport alone, so he stays in the cafeteria, usually in the game room. “There’s Ping-Pong. Everyone likes Ping-Pong.”
Yes. Everyone likes Ping-Pong.
College is a great experience. You’re just grown up enough to act high and mighty, but you’re still young enough to not have a mortgage. In order to experience these years to the fullest, never be afraid to ask for help. Some days you’ll feel like you just can’t take it. You’ll yearn for high school, for the scent of the smoke filled bathrooms, or how easy it was to skip Biology to go to Dairy Queen with 19 of your best friends. Just because 18 of them have gone on to other places doesn’t mean you can’t make Housatonic your own.
We’re at the age when we can take life by the horns. Saddle up, comrades! Shield yourself against the dreaded add/drop form! Bomb the parking garage…..okay, wait, no, I take that back. But you get my drift.
College here at Housatonic won’t be as fun as starting a riot in Saturday detention. Not at all. Because this is better. Much better.
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