Sometimes to get ahead you just need a little piece of home to push you through.
By Ashley Chapman
Senior Staff Writer
Let’s take a little trip down memory lane, that broken, painful, tear-flooded lane. I HATED high school (though I secretly miss the simplicity of it all). The only thing that makes high school bearable is your best friend, and the same thing goes for college.
Going into a new school was an extremely nerve-wracking experience. I did not want to go to college - I actually wanted nothing to do with it. I was perfectly comfortable living at home, waking up at six in the morning, going to high school—dealing with the ridiculous drama, then going home and doing whatever.
But when I tried to tell my parents I didn’t want to go to college, they, like many parents, didn’t want to hear it. So we decided to “ease” my way into college and it seemed best to go to a community college first. It would be cheap, close to home, and I wouldn’t have to deal with an annoying roommate. The only problem was that my best friend was attending Western Connecticut State University. Shot to the heart.
None of my other friends were planning on going to HCC either. They decided on an array of different schools. One went to NYU, another to Marymount, one to Post University. I was mortified. I felt like a lost puppy. Who was going to be my study partner? Who was going to sit with me in the courtyard? These ridiculous questions, which were my main concern, flooded my mind. And before I got the answers, school was in session.
Well, first day of class was an experience in itself. I called my mother when I was two seconds away from the building, flipping out. I couldn’t get myself to turn into the parking garage. She told me to basically suck it up and just deal with it. I dealt with it by hanging up with her and calling my best friend, Jessica. Talking to her made me feel more at ease. She was my little piece of home intertwined in that very cell phone. As we were talking, I ended up in front of my class. It was the moment of truth. It was game time. I was officially a freaked out college student.
The whole year is still kind of a blur. I went to class, did my work, got good grades and counted down the days until all my friends were coming home. I was not myself at all. I was rather quiet, which is unlike me, and I didn’t really go out of my way to make friends. Some people may say that I was insecure, but I don’t think so. I just think I was broken hearted, to be honest.
I called Jessica every day. We would talk about how much we didn’t like school, our problems that were going on, and her new friends. I went to go visit her a lot, but it wasn’t the same. Then I made it my mission to grow up and apply to Westconn.
In the midst of applying, working retail, and doing my school work, Jessica called me and was telling me about what was going on in her life. The conversation ended with her telling me she was moving back home and going to enroll at HCC. We both were really excited. We both had declared the same major when we were around five, so we knew we would be taking basically every class together, and our grades would boost. That’s the thing with having a true best friend. A best friend makes up for your shortcomings. And that is exactly what happened.
Stepping into school with Jessica felt like stepping into a new life. We actually wanted to learn, and we looked forward to class. On my off days, when homework was the last thing on my mind, she pushed me. When she didn’t feel like going to class because she was too tired, I showed up at her house with a coffee in tow to give her an extra little boost. It was amazing, and still is.
We have been going to school together now for three semesters, and we obviously have taken every class together. Of course, there are times when we goof around, or take the day off—but we always do really well. I really can’t stress enough how important I think it is for people to feel comfortable at school. My comfort is Jessica.
Going into a new school was an extremely nerve-wracking experience. I did not want to go to college - I actually wanted nothing to do with it. I was perfectly comfortable living at home, waking up at six in the morning, going to high school—dealing with the ridiculous drama, then going home and doing whatever.
But when I tried to tell my parents I didn’t want to go to college, they, like many parents, didn’t want to hear it. So we decided to “ease” my way into college and it seemed best to go to a community college first. It would be cheap, close to home, and I wouldn’t have to deal with an annoying roommate. The only problem was that my best friend was attending Western Connecticut State University. Shot to the heart.
None of my other friends were planning on going to HCC either. They decided on an array of different schools. One went to NYU, another to Marymount, one to Post University. I was mortified. I felt like a lost puppy. Who was going to be my study partner? Who was going to sit with me in the courtyard? These ridiculous questions, which were my main concern, flooded my mind. And before I got the answers, school was in session.
Well, first day of class was an experience in itself. I called my mother when I was two seconds away from the building, flipping out. I couldn’t get myself to turn into the parking garage. She told me to basically suck it up and just deal with it. I dealt with it by hanging up with her and calling my best friend, Jessica. Talking to her made me feel more at ease. She was my little piece of home intertwined in that very cell phone. As we were talking, I ended up in front of my class. It was the moment of truth. It was game time. I was officially a freaked out college student.
The whole year is still kind of a blur. I went to class, did my work, got good grades and counted down the days until all my friends were coming home. I was not myself at all. I was rather quiet, which is unlike me, and I didn’t really go out of my way to make friends. Some people may say that I was insecure, but I don’t think so. I just think I was broken hearted, to be honest.
I called Jessica every day. We would talk about how much we didn’t like school, our problems that were going on, and her new friends. I went to go visit her a lot, but it wasn’t the same. Then I made it my mission to grow up and apply to Westconn.
In the midst of applying, working retail, and doing my school work, Jessica called me and was telling me about what was going on in her life. The conversation ended with her telling me she was moving back home and going to enroll at HCC. We both were really excited. We both had declared the same major when we were around five, so we knew we would be taking basically every class together, and our grades would boost. That’s the thing with having a true best friend. A best friend makes up for your shortcomings. And that is exactly what happened.
Stepping into school with Jessica felt like stepping into a new life. We actually wanted to learn, and we looked forward to class. On my off days, when homework was the last thing on my mind, she pushed me. When she didn’t feel like going to class because she was too tired, I showed up at her house with a coffee in tow to give her an extra little boost. It was amazing, and still is.
We have been going to school together now for three semesters, and we obviously have taken every class together. Of course, there are times when we goof around, or take the day off—but we always do really well. I really can’t stress enough how important I think it is for people to feel comfortable at school. My comfort is Jessica.
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