Pieces of BGSU

I can’t believe it is finally here!

On May 4 I’ll be graduating from the wonderful Bowling Green State University.

I’m getting out in four years, which is a pretty cool thing, according to my parents.

I’m very lucky because I already have a job lined up for after I graduate, so that takes a lot of pressure off me (which is extremely helpful).

But I can’t help but feel somber about the fact that I’m leaving this university where I’ve made so many great friends and have so many memories.

A lot of people told me that high school would be the best four years of my life. Now that I’ve had four years of college, I would have to disagree with them completely.

These past four years at BGSU have been the best years of my life so far! I have countless stories to tell (some of which I cannot share in this blog, ha!).

I have really enjoyed my college experience here at BGSU, and I am really going to miss everything about this college and this town!

I can still remember being a senior in high school and taking my very first tour at BGSU. I actually came here with a friend of mine who was interested in BG at that time.

After the tour, he said that he hated it and that there was no way he was coming to school here. I, however, absolutely loved it here!

There was something about BGSU that made me feel excited and I couldn’t wait to start my college career here!

There have been a lot of great times, and there have been a lot of bad times.

After going through all of my experiences here at BGSU, I have honestly grown as a person.

Looking back on when I was a freshman, I was really young and now I feel much older and much more mature.

I think the best part of my four years at BGSU is all of the friends I have made and the people I have met.

My first day here at BGSU, I knew one other person so I was terribly nervous about making new friends.

But just like everyone told me, I was myself and I made of ton of new friends and met a ton of people; all of which are going to help me in the future!

My advice to all the other students in college is to enjoy it here! This is going to be a great time in life, and don’t let it pass you by! Go out and meet people, and enjoy everything that BGSU has to offer. Because trust me, I have learned that it has a lot to offer! ROLL ALONG!

When you come to college, it is normal to not have any friends. I know firsthand.

When I came to BGSU from Cincinnati, only one person from my high school attended BGSU with me. While I knew of him, we had never talked in high school, and we did NOT talk at all once I came to BGSU.

So I was a freshman, three hours from home, AND I had no friends. Needless to say, I was pretty nervous about my college choice. And to make things even more challenging, my roommate was an international student from Shanghai, China.

Now, I’m not saying that international students are difficult to live with, because my roommate was actually very easy to live with. But it was definitely a culture shock for me (my roommate did not speak any English), and I was extremely nervous about how I was going to make new friends.

A ton of people told me that I should change roommates because I wouldn’t be able to make new friends with my Chinese roommate, but I stayed with him. And I’m really glad I stayed because I made a ton of friends who I still keep in touch with.

Most students who come to college start out by not having any friends, and that is normal! I think it makes the college experience much more exciting because you get to meet a bunch of new people and make a bunch of new friends!

I think the biggest thing that helped me meet new people and make new friends was keeping my dorm room door OPEN and not being shy in my classes.

If you are sitting in your dorm room with your door closed, it will be much harder for you to meet new people. If you keep your door open, the people on your floor can come and talk with you.

Even if you are not sure about your roommate (like me), you will still be able to make new friends. Not all roommates work well together, but you can still meet new people on your floor or in your classes. I met a ton of my current friends in my classes. I met my best friend here at BGSU in one of my classes!

If you be yourself, bravely meet new people and keep your door open then you will make new friends in no time!

I wish I would have known that most students suffer from being homesick in the beginning of their college careers.

I knew that I wanted to leave my hometown and explore new and exciting things at a college far away. I never knew that I would miss home as much as I did when I first began here at BGSU.

I can still remember my move-in day and watching my parents as they left. My mom will admit she cried when they left, but my dad won’t admit he did. I like believe he did, because I know I cried quite a bit when they left.

I had come to BGSU not knowing a single person and living three hours away. I was extremely nervous about moving in and not knowing anyone, but it didn’t really hit me until my parents left.

What I wish I would have known at that time is that most, if not all, students suffer from being homesick in the beginning. And I also wish I would have known that it is OK to be homesick, not only when you are starting college, but even when you have been in college for a long time.

All students miss home every once in a while, and that is perfectly fine. What I wish I would have known, and everyone should realize, is most students are homesick and just looking to meet new people. Although it can be very scary meeting new people, it will make your college experience much better. Some of my best friends I have met while studying here at BGSU and I know we will be best friends for the rest of our lives.

Starting your college career can be very scary and intimidating, especially if you are attending a college where you do not know a single person. What got me through my homesickness is remembering that my family will always be there whenever I need to visit and get away from college.

However, the biggest thing that got me through being home sick is going out and meeting new people. The awesome thing about BGSU is that meeting new people is as easy as walking out of your dorm room, seeing an open door on your floor, knocking and introducing yourself. What you’ll realize is that the people living in that other room will more often than not be willing and wanting to meet you as well.

Everyone who attends a college not in their hometown gets homesick; it’s inevitable. What I wish I would have known, and every college students needs to understand, is that all college students suffer from being homesick in the beginning of their college career.

My advice to you is to open your dorm room door and meet new people. I can guarantee that those other students will want to meet you as much as you want to meet them. Somewhere on BGSU’s campus, some of your best friends are waiting to be found. So go out and find them!