Walking through Uni's front doors for the first time, something felt off. Nothing seemed to be physically wrong, until it hit me; the lockers...they were left open? Apparently, this openness was a norm here. Now turning towards the office, hundreds of handprints welcomed me. This struck me as odd. What type of school was Uni, giving its students an unfathomable amount of freedom? Was I in for a surprise!
Having attended two large public schools, I grew accustomed to the "cookie-cutter" high school experience: academics for 7-8 periods a day, extra-circulars afterwards, and leisure on your own time. Attending Uni was a whole new experience for me, mixing all of these qualities into an old, but lively building. From my first meeting with Doc Walk to where I sit now, Uni has never failed to surprise and impress me.
For example, free and Uni periods have been an blessing, even if I didn't understand them at first (Every time I looked at my schedule, the thought of not having a class freaked me out). Looking back, I don't know what I would do without these periods, allowing me to destress and, ultimately, take UofI classes. Then there's the Lounge. It might as well be my second home; Foosball and videogames will never be the same without it. And, of course, being on campus has been a great privilege, enabling me to pursue my interests in a resourceful and supporting environment. My time spent in Seibal, DCL, and Grainger can only be rivaled by that spent in the Lounge. Whether cramming for an exam, going out to eat, or even exploring campus, there's always something to do here.
Most importantly, my greatest experience at Uni has been getting to know everyone. As a five-time transfer, the idea of friends has never held any special meaning to me. Usually, whenever I would try to get to know my peers, I knew it would be in vain as I would be gone in a year or two anyways. However, at Uni, I've come to meet and know everyone. Running XC, going to events with friends, and having people to talk to has helped me feel part of a family. When I say the Lounge has become my second home, I don't mean the place itself, but the memories and friends I've made there. Reliving these experiences would be a wonderful, and I look forward to the many more I have left to make.
I'm glad you feel welcome in Uni, Sparsh! I remember having a really similar first impression to Uni's locker situation when I first came here. By this point, however, seeing a regular high school hallway is a little jarring for me. I remember I visited Central earlier this year, and I couldn't put my finger on what exactly was wrong with the hallway, but then I realized that I wasn't used to seeing an entire hall lined with lockers that were closed.
ReplyDeleteThis is so wholesome. One of my favorite thing about Uni is the unique appearance and atmosphere of the school that make it unforgettable. I will never forget walking into Uni for the first time and seeing a bowl of spagetti on the floor. I do have to agree with you, the best part of any place is the people you associate with it.
ReplyDeleteYour blog really brings out the best qualities of Uni. I especially liked your description of how you came to integrate yourself more than you expected into the Uni community and how the lounge become your second home. Your positive attitude will get you very far in life. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteI think that one of the things that gets often overlooked in uni is the community. I'm glad that even people like you who transferred in late still feel at home. I also feel like people are quick to criticize lots of things about Uni, while I feel most of the criticism is valid and certainly warranted, I know that I am often guilty of not recognizing the good parts. I appreciate your post for bringing many of those to light, good post.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your blog. I think its really beneficial that Uni is in the center of campus rather than in middle of nowhere. It feels like we practically already in college with all the stuff that we can do during school and outside of school. The thing with Uni itself though is that despite the building looks like they are 100000 years old. The technology there isn't actually bad. A lot of public school doesn't even have a foosball table or functional computer labs. Even if they have one, most student wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time on it. I am glad that uni have such vast resources.
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