The Real Adventure Begins

Columbia University!

To be accepted into the Ivy League Connection every student must write two essays, one about why they should be accepted and another whose prompt is directly related to the program that they are applying for. If their essays are accepted then they get to interview for the specific course. As a result, the entire application process is centered around the three week course the student will be taking if he or she is accepted into the ILC. (The course is a predominant and the main part of the scholarship. Other events occur over the duration of the trip such as college tours.)

The gang and I at Columbia.

Classes start tomorrow. Everything has led up to this; this is the main event. Our courses are the reason my cohort and I are here. We are here to have the college experience, a life-change experience at that, only to return home and share these experiences with our peers. We are here to go home and help increase the level of students who go to college; especially Ivy League colleges. I am so grateful to my school district (WCCUSD) and the sponsors for making this amazing opportunity possible.

My dorm room. HTL 3A10-1

Today we moved into the dorms. I am living on the Columbia University campus! This is all so real and overwhelming. Unfortunately we are all spread over the campus; Emily and I are in the same building though. I am in the Hartley building on the third floor. I’m in a suite style area which is like a mini home with a lot of bedrooms. I am in a single room which means that I am by myself in a bedroom. I don’t think I like this whole communal bathroom thing though; it is very inconvenient. In the suite are nine other girls plus our two RAs. Seven of the girls are from seven countries such as England, Switzerland, Egypt and several others.

We are no longer under the constant guidance of Mrs.L. Total independence! But, we still have to let her know where we are going. Before leaving us today she even said that she was ‘cutting the umbilical cord’ and letting us go.

Today I have been so preoccupied with the excitement of moving and meeting new people that I haven’t had time to really appreciate the Columbia campus. I hardly got any pictures! All of the people that I have met are really nice friendly, and you can tell that they are wealthy. They all talk about traveling and how often they travel like it’s nothing. You can also tell by the way they hold themselves. I know that they are no smarter than I am but I can’t help from feeling a little inferior.

I feel like I have grown so much in these past six days. I feel much more independent and ready to go off on my own. I know there is a lot expected of me and I know that that is a lot of responsibility. After this past week talking with current college students, alumni, and admissions officers and hearing their stories and perspectives regarding everything from school to life in general. After talking to these people who have been in the same boat I am now in (confused rising senior) I feel so much more confident. I know have some idea of what to expect in the future. Many of the ideas that these people have presented regarding confidence are concepts that I already knew but refused to accept as something that I could apply to myself. It’s not that I lack confidence because I am confident, I’m just wary of the future. But these people, who are just normal human beings like us all, have overcome the struggles that I fear; their advice and past experience are very valuable. I now need to apply everything that I have learned from these amazing people to the next three weeks. I will prevail!

Some of the activities that the RAs are providing.

I really hope that I am overthinking all of this and that it will be much less intense and stressful than I imagine. I am looking forward to tomorrow. Finally going to the class and seminar will really help to ease my mind and set me into a routine.