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You are a high school senior, knee deep in second semester and every day growing more apathetic. You earned your spot for next fall at Fairfield, bought that hoodie during your visit, and are anxious for all that awaits.
So what exactly awaits?
You know some cool kids who go there. They tell you that the food is average, the dorms are cramped, and registering for classes is about as fun as putting your hand in a mousetrap.
But then they tell you about the great times they had – the parties, the campus events, and great friends they’ve made. They tell you how you couldn’t hear someone two feet away from you at Prez Ball because it was so packed. They tell you how “the Red Sea” has finally stopped receding and is finally on the up and up. They tell you how there is enough free food and t-shirts dished out at the hundreds of on-campus programs to appease a small country.
Then they start telling you about the legends: the glory that was All Hallows Eve (if they can remember), how “Fairfield red” suddenly becomes green for St. Patty’s Day, the sacred off-campus realm known as “the Beach,” the May Day outdoor festival, how everyone gets arrested at Jail N’ Bail, and about something that used to be called Spam Jam? They are not sure, but they do know it was the greatest.
By now you are pretty enthused. But you’d like to hear a bit more. So they tell you about the plethora of smokeshows who call campus home. They tell you about how Justin Long’s dad is a professor here, how John Mayer used to live in the area, and how Bill Murray’s son graduated from here (it’s true.)
They tell you about the core, how it’s a challenge to complete but a great way to meet new people and be introduced to new ideas they might not have. They tell you that there really is no reason to “Fear the Deer” because the majority of people here are nice, welcoming and always ready for a good time. The school is a safe place, they tell you. You can put your things down at a table in the dining hall and not have to worry about it getting stolen.
You talk to some alums, seasoned veterans of the college life. They tell you, like a fine wine, the college experience only gets better with age; more doors open, more opportunities unfold, and good friends become great ones. They tell you about an internship which really helped give them some perspective, the campus program/organization they took part in and learned more from than any class, the trips to NYC or New Haven that they took, and the many senior traditions that still stand to this day. They want to be you, to go back and relive it again.
You ask for some guidance, a helpful piece of advice. They tell you, plain and simple: Do it all. Don’t miss a day. Sleep when you’re dead. If you can’t find something to do, you aren’t trying hard enough. It goes by fast, so enjoy your time and do what makes you happy. Take the time to meet people and learn their story because the greatest thing here is the community.
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