The end of college is near

By Joshua O'Connell
Posted Monday, September 27, 2004

It's September again, and for me, that means not just another year at college, but the final one. Recent weeks have involved settling in after a four month gap, one that seems incredibly long now but was great when it started.

One thing that's changed for me since the last break, however, is the disconnect I feel from the incoming freshmen. When I first went through orientation and headed to Fairfield for the first time, I felt a similar disconnect: here I am, merging into a class of hundreds, I only know a couple of people, and I'm going to be on my own.

This summer, like each summer, I stopped by the school during orientation. I watched with interest as the freshmen-to-be worried about being in a strange place with strange people, got excited about meeting potential friends and roommates, and overall just gained an initial feel for college life.

It's more fun watching this same group settle in and walk around in packs as they attempt to make new friends, but end up clinging to the first few they make until they've established themselves. I listen with amusement as RAs discuss how bold the freshmen are as they walk around with beers in their hands, forgetting, of course, that they're under 21 and colleges have rules too.

I was one of them once, but it seems like it was ages ago. The all-day move-in of freshman year became a well-executed 90-minute move before I had to work. The socializing of the first week, staying up until 4 a.m. discussing absolutely nothing, became (at the latest) a 2 a.m. bed time for a 9 a.m. wake-up call. Freshman life is now a distant memory, and watching them is now more nostalgic than anything else.

It's time to start interviewing for jobs, making plans after graduation, and scraping together enough money to ensure that first month and last month's rent are covered in just eight short months. It's time to start thinking about what I actually really want to do in life, and not just where I want to go for spring break. It's simply time.

I know things will work out, but I can't help but wonder if I'm ready. Everyone talks about how great college life is and how shocking the real world will be. They said that about college in a way too, and I'm still here. I just can't help but wonder whether I'll be like those freshmen, clinging to the first people I meet and holding on for the ride.

The answer's not far away - I've got eight months to go.

This column originally ran September 27, 2004 in the Connecticut Post.

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