<s pretty nervous about coming here for two reasons. One was that I grew up in LA, so I’m not exactly used to the types of winter that Minnesota can (and does) provide. The second was that, well, I grew up in LA. Everything I’ve ever known - family, friends, food, places - has come from there. That was home. Carleton was a far-off school in Minnesota, a state I’d visited maybe once or twice. I actually got to Northfield two days before move-in because I wanted to take a quick walk through the campus. During my walk, I was able to meet a few Carleton faculty members because they were strolling around. I spoke with them and instantly this nervous, young, California kid remembered all the reasons I decided to leave behind all that was familiar to me. They encouraged me to reach out to them for questions and to try as many things as I can, whether it be clubs, teams, or classes.
The next day was move-in day (which was brutal), but I was able to get inside before the rain. The people inside Cassat were understanding and attentive.
I’ve noticed that this is a common theme around Carleton; everyone is willing, and in fact wanting, to help you out with whatever you need. Everyone here is nice. Straight up. There isn’t an answer you can’t find if you just ask people for it.
It appears that the professors are understanding of a college student’s life and they actually prefer that you talk to them about the material, as opposed to the teachers I’ve had in the past.
Kids here are fun, quirky and excited to tackle academic and social challenges. All the freshmen I’ve met have been enthusiastic about making friends. During New Student Week, there was never a time when I couldn’t find people to hang out with. I really appreciated that, because I’m extremely social as well.
Now that classes have started there isn’t as much time for that (although everyone seems to have all their work done early on Wednesday nights).
As it pertains to schoolwork, all of my reading has been difficult but VERY interesting. Yeah, there’s a lot of writing. I’m putting off my third essay I’ve been assigned just to write this opinion as we speak. But so far, Carleton has helped me figure out what’s most important to me. It has helped me revitalize my academic mindset after a long summer of baseball and Fortnite and has already begun teaching me how to best take care of my body, physically, and mentally.
It’s crazy to think that we are actual adults now—legally—so we have to take care of business just because it’s our responsibility.
However, I’ve already been learning how to best manage my time. There are a lot of hours in the day, and I’m figuring out how to take advantage of them. Most of all, Carleton has given me a really strong first impression: it has given me a sense of belonging and a place I can definitively call home.