Collegiate Times

Driving through Washington Street on way up to my apartment, my heart swells for the freshmen moving into the dorms. Their faces are pink from unloading their cars and moving a lifetime of belongings up countless flights of stairs. Their parents hover close by, juggling groceries and papers, trying their best to be as helpful as possible. The expression on each of the new students' face is the same: a perfect blend of excitement and absolute fear. This is it: they are officially college students. Virginia Tech is no longer just a school; it is their new home. As I reluctantly begin my final year at Tech, I envy the adventure that the freshman class is only beginning.

I am immediately brought back to my own move-in four years ago. I was a mess of anticipation and apprehension. The summer months leading up to the fall semester were devoted to designing the perfect dorm room. By the end of the summer I had accumulated most of the dorm line from Target and a few other accoutrements that I was convinced would make my new home at Tech a Mecca of happiness and comfort. I imagined other freshman like myself flocking to my room. "Where did you find that delightful bedspread and matching picture frame?" they'd ask as they made themselves comfortable on my shag area rug. "And those extra-long sheets are heaven!" Once I began to move in I realized how foolish I had been. I had been so obsessed with collecting things for my dorm room I had forgotten to think about actual dorm life.

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