Three Days Down Already

It feels like just yesterday I was stepping off a plane beginning my adventure here in New York. It is hard to believe how fast this trip is going and how many experiences I have had. I have met people from all over the world and that have had many different perspectives on life. So far, it has been a really an amazing experience.

Today, my day began with a early morning wake up at 8:00 AM. I quickly got ready and met up with a few of my suitemates to go eat breakfast. Over these last three days we have really bonded as a group. We have learned to respect and live with each other. It is almost as if we had been friend all our lives. Once everyone was ready, we headed out to the dining commons. It has become a usual custom to where we all have breakfast and lunch.

Columbia's campus offers a natural beauty

After breakfast, we headed back to the dormitory and headed to our classes. Class is officially one of my favorite parts of the day. Unlike at my normal high school were most of the education is scripted and you only get one view of a subject. In my class, however, I feel like I am able to really receive a more diverse and enriching education. I am able to hear different point of views that are completely opposite of my ideals and give me new perspectives. This experience has really offered me an incredibly different environment of learning.

As lunch arrived I once again met up with my suitemates to go get lunch and relax from the intensity of our classes. These meetings at meal times have really helped us all bond and become closer. We use this time to vent out all our stresses and just be in an environment where we can take a breather.

When evening session finally arrived, we quickly gathered our belongings and headed off to class. This session was a bit different from the morning session in the sense that the style was a bit different. Unlike our usual interactive classes, this session was more oriented towards lectures. I felt that I could learn from both styles effectively, however, I felt that the interactive style of teaching was my preference.

Once class ended, I headed over to the meeting spot, where Ms. L was already waiting. When the cohort had all gathered Ms. L began asking how we were managing in our classes. Honestly, I felt that I was doing pretty well in my class. I was handling the workload and the high level of academics effectively to the point where I am not being overwhelmed. Aside from that Ms. L also talked about the importance of time management. She stressed how we needed to make sure we made time for our school work, socializing and excursions.

When Ms. L had finished all she had to say I immediately headed back to my dorm where my suitemates were all gathered in the common room watching a soccer game. I joined in on their enthusiasm and we once again used this moment to become closer as a group. This was yet another instance in which we were all able to just relax for a while and just have fun.  

Upon conclusion of the game I used the remainder of the time to finish my homework and get ahead on my work for tomorrow. I was able to get a lot of work done in that time period and felt a huge sensation of accomplishment and relief that I had created some breathing room for myself.

 

Overall it was a very productive day in my opinion. I am slowly becoming closer to my suitemates and I am learning a lot more in my class. If my stay here continues like this, I have a feeling I will emerge a completely different person. A person who is more culturally diverse and intellectually enhanced.