What should I scream for? This is my theme park
By Kaveri Gyanendra
Looking out my fourth floor window of Swig hall, I can't help but think about how much my life has changed over the course of the past four months. New bedroom, new school, new friends and being 500 miles away from my family has all been part of the whirlwind that's shaping me into a different person.
College, specifically the first year, is perhaps the most exciting time of one's life. Ever since the time I was a freshman in high school, I could not wait to step into the world of college the adventure we all eagerly anticipated. It seemed so scary yet so exciting, each day packed with meeting people, classes with interesting professors and a big, beautiful campus.
Thus far, college has been everything people said it would be, and more. Right from the loud and happening residence halls to the endless hours of reading and gorgeous grounds, I sprung into a new life, completely different from the one I lived for the past 18 years. I no longer have my mom to make me an 'after school snack' or hug me and tell me everything's going to be okay when I'm stressed out. But rather than putting myself into a state of shock and getting overwhelmed with what was thrown at me and what's now missing from my life, I have embraced the change. Every new cloud comes with a silver lining and nothing can bring me down.
Small closet and four suitcases of clothes? No problem. People yelling in my hall and Spanish midterm tomorrow? No problem. I found a way to stuff my abundance of clothes into a thimble sized closet and discovered the beauty of headphones while studying in the dorms. Yes, adjusting is a challenge; but it only stays a challenge if you let it.
Change is a constant factor of our lives, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Whichever direction the change is for, the individual has to be willing to make adjustments in order to live comfortably. If one is stuck in the past and refuses to accept the current situation, they are harming no one but themselves.
Everyday as I walk to class, I look around and think about the thousands of kids that walk the campus each day. Each of us comes from a different background and each of us made a major step in life when we made the decision to attend Santa Clara University. Above all, the changes we make on a day to day basis come with countless opportunities. The change we make to close one door will only mean the opening of another.
Embracing the world around me has truly taught me to love life. Days can get crazy and life can get stressful but hey, you don't have to "be the change you wish to see in the world" but you can be the change you wish to see in yourself.