by Shannon King
staff writer
You just got used to the people you were flung together with four years ago, made your friends, got jobs and established routines. Now all of a sudden it’s the summer after graduation and you are being ripped apart from that life you’ve grown so accustomed to and put into a totally new situation. For those of us who have been here a few years, it may not seem like such a big deal anymore, but remember how you felt those first couple of weeks.
The first few weeks adjusting to a new environment with different faces, rules and even food than you are used to can prove to be downright horrifying for some people. Others love the idea of “getting away from it all” and having a fresh start. Cabrini’s largest freshmen class ever is no exception. While the overall reaction of students was that they like Cabrini so far and that they are having a good time, some people weren’t so sure.
Xavier resident Sarah Madden said, “It’s going good so far. Everything’s what I expected it to be. I’m happy.” She had no complaints about her roommates because she got to pick them and wasn’t just thrown in with random people. One of the reasons she chose Cabrini was because of the teachers and class sizes, which she seems to be happy with. One complaint she does have, however, are the rules in Xavier. This complaint seemed to be echoed among many of the responses.
Woodcrest roomies Tiffany Garrett and Shavonne Gardner agreed on some things, but not all about Cabrini. While Tiffany said that her experience here was just “Okay, it’s pretty much what I expected it to be,” Shavonne said, “It’s not what I expected. I’m enjoying it so far, but I don’t like the rules.” She also doesn’t like the fact that freshmen aren’t permitted to have cars on campus. They both like the different activities that are available on campus, but there is one thing that they adamantly agree that they don’t like, Woodcrest!
Lauren Joseph seemed to share these feelings, “We’re in Woodcrest so we don’t have the luxuries that other people have.” College life is pretty much what she expected, and her overall impression, “It’s great, I really like it!”
T.J. Mallozzi said that his experience so far is pretty good, but he noted one of the major complaints of just about everyone on campus, “Everyone is real nice, but a lot of people go home on the weekends.”
Other students had a surprise in store for them when they started classes. Chris Spratt said that he’s having fun, but “I didn’t expect to have as much free time as I do.” When asked how his parents felt about him leaving home for the first time, he said that they were concerned. Other parents, such as the mother of his roommate, Eddie Houseman, made their kids drive to move in day because they couldn’t see the road through their tears.
Tram Nguyen offered some insight into the commuter experience, “People are really nice. I just met some of them and they offered to let me come to their room if I wanted between classes.” She says that college is better than what she expected, but she encounters a lot of traffic in the morning on the bus. Her teachers, she says are pretty understanding if she’s ever late.
Freshmen year is full of changes and surprises, but most people are adjusting here just fine. Within the next few years, new friends, roommates and sometimes even the faculty can seem like family. Just remember to take advantage of everything available and have fun. These are the best years of your life.
