My name is Ari Hurdsman, I am 19 years old and I just completed my first semester at Snow College. Throughout this year I’ve been documenting my experiences and sharing them with all you readers of The Byway. Most of these stories I’ve told are simple tips to help survive college. This, however, is going to be some highlights of college life.
College seems like a really scary place. When I graduated from high school I was terrified of the “college life.” I wasn’t ready to give up my high school experience and go off into the world; I was comfortable. And I was so stressed and scared of my roommates when I first met them.
When you go to college you are more on your own and are a “real adult.” While that is true, college is so much more. College is the time where you get to learn about yourself and have fun. There are times to be serious, but a good handful of college life is studying for classes and going out with friends and roommates.
Going to Activities
Something that really helped me become confident in myself and find my place as a college student was going out to the activities with my roommates. Going out to the activities and dances not only gave me some confidence, but I met tons of new people who I couldn’t imagine not being friends with. I soon found these activities and dances were my favorite part of the week. My roommates and I, as well as a group of boys, would head to the dances and activities together. Around the end of the first month, this friend group was inseparable. We spent almost every day together from September to December.
On Monday nights, we would go to FHE (family home evening), Tuesdays we went to TNT (institute night activities), Wednesday we got our dancing shoes on and would go to Western Swing, Thursday would be the institute’s swing dance night, and Fridays were spent watching movies together.
Finding Peace in Groups and with Myself
Finding a group is something so crucial to having a good experience at college in my opinion. Without my friends I would be bored and caught in the wave of life. My group allowed me to let loose and remember to have fun. They also pushed me to do my best. And even if I didn’t get the grade I wanted, I still had value. While I have only known these people for four months, it feels like it’s been a lifetime. I feel that we were meant for each other.
While being away at college was hard at first, there would be moments where I realized how much I was meant to be at college. Slowly it became easier to accept that I was in college. With college I learned to find peace in those moments I was alone. I learned that it’s okay to struggle — you are meant to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. Even though I was miles away from my loved ones, they were always a phone call away. I learned to love at a distance.
Additionally, I learned to let go of the pressure from other people. In college no one really cares who has better things. College students are just trying to get by. Learning to not let other people’s perceptions of me affect how I acted was a big lesson. The people that do care are the ones who stick by your side.
Becoming a ‘New’ Version of Me
Leaving behind the life I once lived was scary, but I had outgrown that life, and that was okay. Being away at college made me realize that it’s okay to leave things behind because new opportunities are just around the corner. While away at college I found myself becoming a new and better version.
All while becoming this “new” version of myself, I know to still love where I came from. Piute County helped me find my way. It gave me countless opportunities that led to my decision to attend college, and that is something I will forever be grateful for.
College not only taught me how to be a better learner and student, but it helped me grow in every other aspect of my life as an individual. With the help of highlights like my friend group and the adventures I was able to experience, I have fallen in love with college. I will forever love and reminisce on my first semester at Snow College, for it truly changed my life for the better. So if you are thinking of attending college, take the chance and try it out. The best part of college is you can always change your mind, classes, and path. No one there is perfect, we are all figuring it out.
– by Ari Hurdsman
Ari Hurdsman – Junction
Ari Hurdsman is a junior journalist at the Byway. She just recently moved to Ephraim, Utah, where she is a freshman at Snow College. She enjoys writing about Piute sports, and she’s really good at it! In her free time, she enjoys singing, dancing, reading and hanging out with friends and family.