College was something that I didn’t think would actually happen for me. I mean, all of my siblings went to college, my parents went, and so did the rest of my extended family, but whenever I pictured “college” for myself, I just hit a roadblock. Like something massively significant was going to happen and stop me from going. And it almost did.
About two weeks before August 26th, move-in day, I began experiencing symptoms of Covid-19. I got a test, and sure enough, it was positive. Several things ran through my mind:
- Does my family have it too?
- Is it a false negative?
- Can I still go to college on time?
Yes. No and no.
I was told by my county’s health department I could move in on August 28th, which was a Saturday, but it also meant I would miss orientation and moving in with the rest of my suitemates.
When I got to campus I immediately felt at home. The move-in helpers gave me all of the help I needed to make sure I was settled into my dorm smoothly. They told me about all of the activities that I hadn’t missed out on and I became hopeful that I would still have my chance to meet new people and make these memories going to college is notorious for.
My dad was the only one able to move me in since the rest of my family members were still quarantining. It was difficult moving in with just the two of us because on August 26th, I cut my finger on my mini fridge and got 15 stitches. Just my luck.
As I walked into my room, I saw my roommate fast asleep the wrong way on her bed. All of my nerves disappeared as they were replaced with tranquility and laughter. My roommate woke up and without thinking, helped me move in. I met the rest of my suitemates and while I was nervous at first, they made me feel welcome just by coming out of their rooms and introducing themselves. Within just a few hours I knew they would become some of my best friends.
Since then, we’ve done everything together:
- Club fair
- Carnival
- Bowling
- Playing pool
- Movie nights
- Late night U-Hots runs
- And many other things!
“Club fair” was the most important event because a few of my suitemates and I have joined a club called “Relay for Life,” which helps raise awareness and money to end cancer. We get to ‘table’ in the union to promote our cause. We also get to do walks to raise more awareness for breast cancer, host trivia nights, calming craft nights, and, of course, the actual relay that’s held on April 30th.
This club means so much to me as it was the reason I wanted to come to this school in the first place. When I was 10 years old, I spoke at a relay on campus. After I spoke, I broke down in tears. I didn’t want my siblings to go to college and I didn’t want to leave my parents. Afterall,, being the youngest made it harder to leave my parents empty nested. However, my family calmed me down by bringing to my attention that my godfather and uncle went to Geneseo. They told me that they had the time of their lives and while it was hard to leave their families, they were only an hour away from them and it was easy to visit whenever they felt homesick. Hearing this, I immediately fell in love with this school. They brought up amazing points that I wasn’t sure I would be able to experience at any other school. Their guidance helped me immensely when it became time for me to apply to colleges.
While there will be some things I adore about Geneseo, there are some other things that I don’t fancy all that much, and that’s okay. I was bummed about Letchworth Dining Hall not being open because I heard that it is the Red Jacket of the North Side where I live.
My experience here at Geneseo so far has been nothing short of amazing. From the sunsets to the mechanical bull, I will never regret choosing this place as my ‘home away from home’ for the next four years.