May 6, 2009
Finals
are amongst me. I haven’t packed up a thing and I am set to leave in 48 hours.
My laundry is exploding from my laundry bag (I guess I’ll just wait to do it at
home…). Posters that had served as camouflage for our barren white walls are
torn down, rolled up, retired. And then it hits me—college is almost over.
No,
I am not a senior. I will not be attending the infamous commencement of 2009.
I’m not transferring, not dropping out. I am a freshman (well, until tomorrow
at least), and I realize that this journey I had only just begun is already
mounting its end.
A
year ago I hadn’t surpassed the bubble that is my hometown. I was sheltered
within the confines of my Stepford-ish suburbia, a town of perfect facades and
ideal images. Conflict? Chaos? Turmoil? Crises? Not where I come from. Galas.
Polo Matches. Farmers’ markets. That’s more like it.
Then
August came and the bubble as I knew it popped. I left home to settle into a
new one—my home under the dome. Little did I know what the move would have in
store.
Freshman
year has been a year of firsts, a year of transition, a year of change. Who I
was in August is only the foundation of who I am today—a more mature,
confident, and balanced version of the naïve 18 year old who had no idea how
much she’d grow and change. I’ve learned what “well-rounded” really means—not
that your resume covers every possible facet of human experience, but rather
that you identify your true passions and pursue them, while holding those
values and relationships you care most about close to your heart. We cannot
walk this road alone, for it is a lonely journey without special people to
share it with.
But
now this year is about to end. We will finish our exams and return to the homes
where we came from eight months ago. For me, this could not be more bittersweet,
as I truly consider the world I’ve entered here at ND to be my second home. I
will go back to my town with a new vision, a greater awareness of what’s out
there—of what makes life meaningful. And then I’ll return as a sophomore,
already accustomed to campus and its way of life. The year will undoubtedly fly
as it comes time to declare a major and think harder about the future. Junior
year will hopefully entail a semester abroad, making time on ND’s campus
especially limited, condensed. And then senior year will arrive, a year of
lasts, goodbyes. Future plans deal with graduate schools, jobs, new
residences—a gateway into the real world.
Yes,
college is almost over. Enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Katherine M. Lukas
Freshman, Lyons Hall
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