Last week, the prospective students invaded.
There were hundreds of them. You’d think that this is hyperbole, but I kid you not — there were hundreds. A friend texted me so that I could prepare for the oncoming tsunami of tours and arrivals: “Prospies flooding Lowry. Long lines. Just a heads-up!”
No offense to the prospies, of course. I mean, everyone has to eat and, having been a prospie myself, having lunch here helped influence my choice in attending. However, I decided to take this opportunity to grab a sandwich from Old Main before my soon-to-follow class. As I nibbled on my lunch, it hit me: Wow, I’ve changed a lot since I was a prospie. But, it hadn’t really hit me until then.
College makes you grow. This growth comes in the form of calling your mom less and less. It comes in the form of relishing doing your own laundry, since now, you don’t have to fold your siblings’. It comes in the realization of, “I consider college my home now.” This is a big change from when I was a prospie: I was terrified of leaving home. Excited, but terrified.
Talking to first-years and prospies, you hear, “I miss home,” or, “I’m afraid to leave home, even if I know I’m ready to.” I feel that; I took my first semester hard. I missed my family, my dog and my friends. But, I still wanted that freedom, and was torn between wanting to both be at home and be at school, independent. I get it.
But, now, I’ve found that home isn’t just at my house. Home is that feeling you get when you’re surrounded by people who care about you, who’d gladly put themselves on the line when you’ve had a bad day. Home is a sense of community, a feeling of “I belong.”
I found that here at Wooster. I felt it during my visit as a prospie, and since my first year, even if it took a bit to comprehend. Nowadays, my dorm is “my home,” or “my place.” A large part of this is because I found friends who are like a second family. Without living here, I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to make the friends whom I hold so dear. Even if I’m gone for a day, I miss them dearly.
Of course, Wooster is not the home for everyone. I’ll admit, it’s a very eclectic, quirky place (in the best of ways, of course). That was exactly what I wanted. Still, there are some people for whom it is not the right fit. If you want to transfer, I totally understand. But, I know I won’t. For me, Wooster is my second home.
So, for you prospective students who are having a rough time choosing, or for you first-years who are feeling that homesickness a bit stronger than you’d like to admit or considering transferring — don’t worry. You’re not alone. One day, Wooster will become your home. It may take time, but you’ll find the right friends, the right clubs, and the right major for you.
It’s only a matter of time. One day, it will hit you, like it hit me as I was eating a pretzel roll sandwich and musing about how much I’ve changed. This place will change you; know that it will change you for the better.
Katherine Randazzo, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at KRandazzo18@wooster.edu.