Thoughts From a Rising Sophomore

My first year of college came and went. I am now a rising sophomore! What an interesting year it was. Unfortunately, I blogged less than usual but that’s something I am working on and figuring out what the purpose of this blog is.

I have already said good-bye to the first year but here are a few reflections.

• ·         Packing after a year of accumulating junk is no fun. During finals week, not only did I have two essays to write and three exams to take, I also had to figure out how I was going to pack everything. On top of that, Trinity doesn't offer summer storage except for the International House, but even they are limited. To make matters worse, my family couldn't come out and help me pack or move and I had to figure out how I was going to get to the airport. The only good thing was that I had stopped working so I could focus on bigger issues.
• ·         Finals week I was in my room, doing research for my two papers, studying flash cards and packing things in my suitcases/boxes. Not only that, we were helping other international students move their stuff to the Ihouse. This was really frustrating because colleges claim that they want diversity but they struggle to help those who come from far away. If Trinity offered summer storage, I would gladly pay for it because it would be easier to transport my junk there and probably cheaper than the other storage options. Maybe this is something that we might need to petition for.
• ·         I was also blessed because when I was helping people move; I asked them if they were going to the airport so we ended up going together. This was great since I spent two hours with them before they began their long journey to China and I waited another hour for my flight.
• ·         First semester was a lot of fun and going to a lot of social events whereas second semester, I focused on academics. Even though I spent less time studying first semester, my grades were slightly better than my second semester grades. This must be a sign that I shouldn't take college too seriously!
• ·         One of my favorite events this semester was a fashion show hosted by the Caribbean Association. It was well organized, everything ran as it was supposed to and the energy was awesome. One of my favorite events from first semester was a talent show hosted by the Men of the Colored Association. Except for the after party which I wasn’t really impressed with, the talent show showcased some of the best talent at Trinity and other colleges from near-by and once again, the audience loved it.
• ·         First semester, I went up to Boston to see a few friends of mine and second semester, one of my friends came to see me. We had such a fun time catching up and I loved showing her Trinity. This reminded me how important my friends are and no matter, we’ll always find time for each other. Last Thursday, I met with this friend and a few more and it was just like old times. This time though we were older and sharing the new experiences of our lives.
• ·         Reading for myself is the best thing I've done in a really long time! I need to make more time to read for pleasure during the school year.
• ·         Family and church friends are some of the greatest people in the world. It doesn't matter where I go or for long, when I come back I am welcomed and sad to leave again. How many people have a community like that?

College is quite an experience! While it drives me crazy sometimes and I want to cry and scream over the amount of reading I have, I can’t complain about the opportunities that it provides me.