Recently, a collision of several events made me realize that it’s been 10 years since I was a college freshman. It’s not like there weren’t constant reminders about the passing of time. I knew it was the 10 year reunion of my high school (no, I wasn’t going); I knew I was 10 years older than the high school seniors I interviewed as a college alum (sure didn’t feel mature enough); I knew colleges opened with virtual convocation for Class of 2024 (wow that’s 2014+10).
However, the significance of a decade passing only occurred to me after listening to an interview on education technology and how COVID has accelerated the transition to digital and online learning for all levels of the school system. Distanced learning is the new way of teaching. That’s when it occurred to me that these young, new college freshmen, Class of 2024, are pioneers in a new era of undergraduate studies. For better or worse, they won’t get to experience being physically on a college campus as freshmen, trying to grow into independent adults while facing their trepidation.
This led me to remember that 10 years ago, as a college freshman, I met my best friend. Subsequently, a wave of freshmen memories resurfaced that I wanted to relive and share, with myself, with her, with all the freshmen who won’t get these opportunities.
Meeting at the Quad gates for daily dinners with a group of us. Whoever was free would join. As we left the dorms, it was also a debate for choosing 1920s Commons (more food and closer) or King’s Court (better food and farther away).
Sitting on the grass at night, watching The Wire as part of a Hall event. When I met RD for the first time and he talked in a soft accent about the differences of the French education system.
Being in McNeil House(?) (the lonesome colonial building near Hill) for some class on the Medieval Ages, reading passages from the Bible, with the TA who cleared her through every other sentence extremely obnoxiously. That class was also my first and only B-.
The 2nd floor of the Newman Center, which was actually the ground entrance if you came in from the other street, where our Pre-Frosh Catholic retreat was disbanding. The girl with wavy red hair exchanged phone numbers with me upon discovering we both lived in the Quad, promising to meet up for lunch and instantly becoming best friends.
Finding a cockroach in my bunker dorm and in a panic, calling SH who lived in Ware House (because we had just said goodbye after dinner, so I knew he was around) to come running back to help me kill it.
Hanging out in Houston Hall, on one of the long tables with benches, studying late until curfew (aka watching a Canto drama) when my would-be boyfriend whispered he liked me.
Waking up circa 2–3am to the smell of leftover food being heating in the microwave while my roommate used waxing strips on her arms.
Waiting at the Quad gates for OCR, wearing mismatched shades of a black blazer and skirt (too young to have a dress suit yet), nervously clutching resumes, when RD saunters over in a polo and black jeans, cockily pointing out his Louis Vuitton shoes more than make up for his casual dress.
Studying outside at the picnic tables in the Nipple, laughing hysterically when CI spazzed out upon seeing another student approach (a guy we were just making fun of).
The daily fear of the communal dorm showers — nasty stuff happened in there.
My first snow winter (that I remember vividly) and frantically trying to warm up my flip phone every time I reached indoors because it constantly froze from the cold.
Running out of the Van Pelt library fire escape stairs in a throng of noisy students after the start of the NSO scavenger hunt(?)… at the same event, sitting in some sofas tired from the activity and striking up a conversation with a guy who had a poorly dyed red hair… then going to another venue for square dancing.
Laughing late into the night in the computer room with CW and TH and racing around the room on the computer chairs.
Playing doubles ping pong in the common rooms!!! We won a bet and the losing team bought us each a Canada moose cushion — which I still have.
Taking walks with CI through the corridors of the Quad dorms to pass time (and exercise without going to the gym) while also exploring the different nooks and crannies of the old building, as well as see what themes other houses had.
Visiting the careers office and counselors trying to understand what courses to take and where my future will lead; only to feel more discouraged when I saw the offices stacked with resumes and applications from more ambitious, already organized students, as I sat waiting and stared at the flyers for programs and internships plastering the walls.
I do think I managed to keep these to freshmen year memories, without blurring them with memories from later years. It’s interesting that some of these memories are sharp as day to the tiniest detail. Others are vague, amorphous images. Even others only exist after scrolling through pictures. While I envy the freshmen class at the peak of their youth, starting the journey of college (virtual or otherwise), I am also grateful and nostalgic for the memories I have of freshmen year.
