How do I connect with the main character of “Freshman Year”?
In the book Freshman Year thus far, the main character, Sarah, has just started her college journey for the first time. Considering I am not a freshman I don’t completely connect with her, however there are ways I do share her experiences. In the book it is shown that she had a great summer, spending time with her friends and family. However as the school year got closer and closer she wasn’t quite prepared because she thought procrastinating could preserve summer. I felt the same way this summer, I thought if I could just ignore my important scheduling and emails then I could hold onto summer for a little bit longer. Well, turns out I couldn’t and the only thing it didn’t for me was make getting a good class schedule all that more difficult. Something else I feel that I can connect with is the meeting of friends. All summer I hung out with the same friends and family but I forgot that when I got to school I was going to have to start fresh. Not just from being home all summer but also being at a different school. She’s learning how to balance friendships at a new place while she still has friendships and relationships at home that she is trying to preserve as well. That is not an easy thing to do.
Another connection I have with the main character is the learning of time management and organization when it comes to classes and homework. Ive done it before but unfortunately it didn’t really get easier but Im sure I will get the hang of it. In all of these new things there is always a feeling that keeps coming back around and that’s homesickness. Even though I’m not completely new to college I still understand the feeling of being homesick and that’s ok that’s why its great to have friends around because whether you think so or not most everyone is going through just about the same things right now. So find your people and use each other as support systems through these new and different times.
That’s a great perspective, Shelby! I completely sympathize with the feeling of not fully connecting with Sarah, yet I understand where she’s coming from in the shade. After all, I’m also a freshman navigating this new chapter of my life. Like Sarah, I spent the majority of summer hanging out with friends and family, trying to enjoy those last peaceful moments. I wanted to make those experiences expand so much deeper and make them so much longer yet it made things hard to accomplish. It’s kind of funny to think about how I also wanted to make the most of my summer by procrastinating. In doing so, I was behind on several important tasks, which in the end put me at a disadvantage when it came to selecting classes, choosing dorms, and organizing other important plans for college life.
It seems we have quite a few similar experiences. I too spent the summer with the same close-knit group of friends that I have had since early high school days. However, when I arrived at college, I was struck by how challenging it was to form new friendships. The transition has been tough, as I expected to easily make connections but found myself feeling really isolated. I’m also having a really hard time with organizing my time management and just overall organizational efforts; however, I’ve been learning slowly but surely how to be more functional in such a challenging time. I’m not so much as homesick as I’ve seen others be but I sympathize with those who are experiencing these struggles. It’s comforting to know that others are going through similar situations, and I hope that as we continue our journey we’ll find ways to connect with new people and gain many new experiences that benefit us in this strenuous journey!