College. The first step to adulthood. A time to be independent. Some people say it's the time to party and some, like my parents, say it's the time to focus on your future. That's what my mom is once again lecturing me about as we begin to the boxes piling around the small dorm room that will become my home for the next year. My side of the room is completely bare, with white walls starkly contrasting the now colorful area that has been claimed by my roommate.
"Now remember, you are at college to get an education. Use this time wisely," she says as she sets my shoes in the bottom of my closet- if you could call the small wooden wardrobe a closet.
"I know mom," I say with a roll of my eyes. The "talk" about what is expected of me this year, why my college experience has to be so focused on my academics, and how important this is for my future, has been given to me countless times in the weeks approaching move-in.
"I'm just reminding you. It's not going to be easy. You will need to put some effort into what you do to be successful. I trust that you will make good decisions," she says. I nod. It's a lecture I could recite in my sleep and one that is quite unnecessary. I have always been a good student and I don't expect to fall from those graces anytime in the near future, I know what is at stake.
My mom insists on helping meticulously hang the pictures from home on my wall, a finishing touch that I could surely do later. She points to my dad, standing off to the side of the room, observing the whole ordeal, and orders him to hang up the string lights we had packed from home. As she finishes the pictures she goes on to make my bed, setting the silver sequin throw pillows just so as if we were showing off my room to a potential buyer.
I sigh. All these little details seem like a lot of work for when my room will just become a mess in a week anyway, but I guess if my mom feels more at ease doing it this way, I'll do it this way. On the outside, I try to seem engaged with the whole design process, but inside I'm itching for my parents to leave and to get some independence.
I've been waiting for this day for months, the day I would finally be out on my own. It isn't that I don't love living with my parents, but the constant nagging is something I am eager to have eliminated from my life. Although I won't admit it to my mother, I definitely am nervous about the transition to college and living up to all the expectations seemingly thrown upon me. But I'll figure it out, I always do.
Mom appears to be finishing up her tidying phase and has taken a spot next to my dad to stare at her handiwork. My hot pink comforter is now perfectly complemented with silver pillows on my bed, while white string lights illuminate the space from above. I swear I see her eyes getting a little watery, and I know she's just as nervous as I am for me to be off on my own.
"I think it looks great," my dad adds in with a smile, obviously trying to cue to my mother that maybe it was their time to go.
"Call me later," my mom's voice hides back emotion as she wraps me in a hug. "I love you."
"Love you too," I say.
"Be smart," my dad says as he gives me a hug.
"I will," I repeat for what appears to be the fiftieth time.
"Okay, have fun!" my mom smiles at my roommate Marie as she sits on her bed. Then they finally leave the premises.
"Sorry about that," I smile at Marie as I plop down on my bed. She seems perfectly normal and at first glance it appears I ended up with a good roommate. I could breathe easy knowing that unless some crazy pothead was deep inside of her, we should get along great. I had been lucky. I only hoped my crazy parents hadn't left too much of a bad impression on her.
"It's okay it happens to everyone, I was lucky enough to have my parents leave before you got here," we both laugh.
"Were you going to the start of the year activities tonight?" I ask. The big event has been a source of great anxiety for me the past few weeks. I didn't want to show up and attend some school-wide function knowing absolutely no one. I have never been one of those people who could talk to anyone for hours. I like having someone I knew around, some sense of familiarity. But college was all about making new friends and I am hoping Marie can be the first name I add to that list.
"Ya, do you want to go together?" Marie replies.
"You can read my mind." I say with a laugh.
"So you're the first one to head off to college?" Marie asks as she stands in front of the mirror applying a coat of mascara.
"Yep, how about you?" I ask, eager to learn more about the girl I would be living with for the next two semesters.
"My sister goes here, she's a sophomore," Marie says with a roll of her eyes as she fluffs her shoulder-length dark brown hair.
"You don't get along?" I feel I already know the answer.
"Sophia has a different mindset than me, she is quite the diva. If you ever meet her, you'll know why. She's dating Liam Payne," Marie's eyes grow wide.
"Am I supposed to know who that is?" I ask with a laugh. I am glad my roommate knows more about the culture of the university than I do. She will serve as a good guide in the crazy next few weeks. I have never been one to know much gossip, I was never sure who was dating who or how so and so broke up. I don't imagine college being any different.
"He's pretty famous around here," Marie states, "You'll know him when you see him. He's very good looking. Sort of a bad boy," she adds and I already know her head is in the clouds. Great, I now know that at least one of the cute guys is taken. Maybe finding a college guy will be harder than I thought.
"What do you wear to something like this?" I ask attempting to dig through the clothes my mother had so kindly organized for me. When she organized something you could never find it, ever.
"I'm going cute and casual, gotta catch some eyes ya know," Marie puts on her best flirtatious smile and we both laugh.
"You don't have a boyfriend?" I ask, by the way Marie had described Liam I was guessing not.
"I wish," she says with a roll of her eyes. "Do you?"
"Fortunately no. Which means college is a whole new world." To tell the truth I've never had a boyfriend, but I'm not about to admit that to Marie. At eighteen, people expected you'd had a relationship but I haven't had that luxury. Maybe I am just too picky or intimidating, or maybe it is just the fact that good looking guys were hard to come by in my small hometown. Either way, I am hoping college will be a little difference. With a campus population of nearly ten times my graduating class, it had to be.
"It really is. I have visited my sister a few times and I mean the amount of cute guys is endless. Now some of them are complete jerks but I mean its good to have some eye candy every once and awhile," Marie fake licks her lips making me laugh.
"I cant wait to see," I laugh. I finally pull out a pair of high waisted denim shorts and a flowy coral tank top from my mom's so called organized closet. "Look ok?" I show my chosen outfit to Marie.
"It looks perfect," she smiles. "Sorry I won't be much longer just have to touch up my hair."
I check the mirror myself. My blond-brown locks have fallen out a little from their curls to form waves, they look good in my opinion so I grab my lipstick and blush and do some finishing touches.
"You're a science major right?" Marie asks.
"Yep. I get to take Chemistry in my first college semester how fun!" I exclaim. Fun is a bit of an understatement. Chemistry is notorious for ending GPAs and ruining futures, and would no doubt be the most challenging part of my first semester.
"And you're education?" I say with uncertainty. Of all the things I should know about my roommate I think I should know her major.
"Correct. No science courses for me!" she says sticking her tongue out. I make a pouty face, but the truth is I like science. Yes, it is challenging at times but I also found it incredibly interesting. There is always something new to discover, and everything was logical-exactly how I liked it.
"Ok I think I'm ready," Marie says standing up. "How do I look?" She asks doing a little twirl.
"Cute and casual," I say with a laugh. I grab my sandals and buckle them up.
"What do you say we hit up this party!" Marie exclaims.
"I'm ready!" I say with excitement. My first college event. "Ok lets hit the road!" Marie says and I follow her out our dorm door.