Alone at College

Part 1

           

College. It's like a whole different world. No longer do I have to wake up at seven and sit in classes for eight straight hours. No more classes with the same people, no parents and no rules. I'm on my own and that's okay because I'm independent. My parents raised an independent daughter who should be just a-okay alone at college or alone in general. Little did I know that it's hard not living under your parents roof. It's difficult because at home at least you know you have someone you can fall back on in a time of need but at school hours away, all you have is yourself to fall back on.

The first day of college was surreal. Like it wasn't even my life I was living. We, my parents and I, packed up my belongings and stuffed it into our little white Toyota Avalon. I didn't realize at the time that I had over packed, but that was a freshman mistake. I had the trunk stuffed to the point where I literally couldn't shove anything else into it and even the back seat was full to where it was almost impossible to see out the rear window. Since both my parents came down to help little old me move in, I had to squeeze myself into the back seat. Three hours of being completely uncomfortable, it was horrid. I just couldn't get comfortable no matter which way I moved so I soon gave up and put my headphones in listen to music.

The closer we got to our destination the more nervous I became. This feeling of not knowing what to expect was drowning me. I like to know what to expect, I hate surprises but college was different. All I knew of it was from the internet and from movies. With the technology we have nowadays I used YouTube to research my new home away from home. The first things that pop up when you search it where parties. Big fests that closes down streets for a day. Scary right? Like how am I suppose to go to a number one party school and keep up with my studies? Simple, don't go out. Not that, that was really my scene anyways.

There, there she is. My beautiful new home. The place where I'll be living for the next four years. I fell in love. Love at first sight, the feeling I get every time I come here to Athens. The bricks and the atmosphere here makes it feel like home. No other campus makes me as comfortable as Ohio University does, I don't have any doubt that I picked the right school.

We pulled up to my dorm, one of the new ones, Tanaka. It's the first year they're opened so I get to be the first person to live in it. Break it in, makes memories in room 134. The first stories to be told about the building. That's what I'm writing about. My story about my stay at Ohio University.

Tanaka first floor was the best floor. Not only was it closest to the laundry room and the kitchen, the students living on the floor were the best as well. Patience Phillips or also known as Halle Berry was my first roommate and my best friend. At first though, my floormates didn't really like me. I was kind of an awkward person often talking nonsense when I was nervous and that nonsense often included some dark things. The first night we all sat in the lounge area working on homework or just watching the food network there was a random girl that showed up at the lounge door. It was dark out and in order to get into the building you had to have a swipe card. This girl did not. So I went to let her in and as I opened the door I said "So you're not planning of killing us are you?" I thought was funny, it was a simple joke that any of my friends back home would've laughed at. But no, everyone thought I was going to kill them or that I, little old me, was a psychopath. Which made them skeptical about me. So I spent the first few weeks trying to get everyone to like me. Doing anything I could to make them my friends. Which in the end made me more outgoing and meet more people. See they would tell me to go ask all these people outside in the courtyard for their numbers or the people in the laundry room since I was a little shy. I don't know why they thought it'd be funny to make me do this but I did it and made lots of new friends, some I still keep in touch with.

Plus I also baked everyone cookies which we all know the way to a persons heart is through their stomachs. Even though they admitted later on that they were scared to eat my cookies because they thought I poisoned them. Which I didn't because they're still alive today, but it made for good jokes throughout the years to come.

When my parents and I unpacked my room the first day with my roommate we went up to court street to get some food. Court street is always packed on weekends when parents come so it was really difficult to find a place. We tried all these places closest to college green and they were so packed I couldn't even get through the door so we made our way down the street that I've now walked a million times all the way down to Luckys, the first bar I went to in Athens. Although I did not drink there I did eat some exceptional food with my parents and new roomie. At the time I didn't know how familiar I'd get with this street, so many memories both good and bad. Though mostly good.

We made our way back to our dorm and said our goodbyes to my parents who I wouldn't see for another few months. Alone at last in our room, we met our suitemates Charles Bukowski and Regina George. The way they introduced themselves made us cringe, 'major bitches' we thought. God this was going to be a long year. We were wrong of course but soon we actually discovered that our first impressions were absolutely correct. Living with someone makes you get to know them, the real them. You can keep up a front in the beginning and after a while your façade falls and we see the real you. All the good things and all the terrible things about a person comes out once you get to spend almost 24/7 with them. Also we played games like never have I ever which I tried not to lie in but I did, shh. I mean it wasn't anyone's business if I was a virgin or not. I was ashamed of myself and I just didn't want anyone to judge me based on that. I prided myself on the fact that I was a goody-two-shoes even though senior year of high school I lost that title but these people didn't know that. I could be anyone and that someone was a virgin. It seems stupid now that I look back on it but at the time it was a big deal. Though I did tell them I did do drugs the summer before college and then that got it into my suitemates mind, which I apologize for, that she should try them. Since I've already tried some she figured she'd have someone to try them with, without judgement. I told myself that I'd never do acid again but I also knew that she shouldn't trip by herself. So being the good friend I am I did it with her. I wish I didn't but I did and I can't regret something that's made me who I am today.

We, my roommate and I, also met our neighbors across the floor. Two guys, Bradley Cooper and Cameron Crowe, who were throwing a little get together in their room and invited us to join them. Since it was my first night in Athens and also the kick off to welcome weekend we went out to Mill street. Basically Welcome Weekend is when upper classmen throw big house parties welcoming the bobcats to OU and if you're a freshman, even better. It's the only time that you'll get drinks until you make connections or friends with people already there. We made our way there. Butterflies in our stomachs because we are going to a COLLEGE PARTY! Who wouldn't be nervous? My roommate was 17 and I 18, we were totally underage and anything could go wrong but fuck it, ou oh yeah! On our way there some of the houses had sheets hanging from windows or balconies. These sheets had saying on them like, Our couches pull out so you don't have to. They were hilarious and the whole time I was there I kept thinking "I can't wait until I have my own house like them"

We made it to our first house, the big white house on the top of Mill with the pillars. One of the girls told us to hurry and she gave me a cup full of the jungle juice. Which I had to chug before we hurried to the next house. Rule #1 don't drink the jungle juice unless you know the people who made the juice or you watched them make it. I did not know this so I drank it. Luckily I was fine and was not drugged. Patience and I lost the guys and other girls we were with so we just sat on the wall in front of the white house. Being typical freshmen girls we grabbed some empty beer cans to take a snapchat. As we were taking the picture three OUPD cops came up to us. We threw the cans behind us and stood up to talk to the cops. They were like "Hey this party is getting shut down you guys need to leave." And we walked away. Close call. Rule #2 never give the cops a reason to arrest you. If you're told to leave, leave. Don't make a scene, don't argue. Just be nice and pretend to be sober. We went home after that but the night was one of many nights that we'd remember forever