I remember one day, Carol McGowan asked me where I was going to school. I replied, "oh I'm just going to Madison College right now." Her jaw dropped. She looked at me in shock.
"What do you mean you're JUST going to Madison College? Don't put a 'just' in there. You are going to Madison College, and you should be proud."
Most people would just nod at where I told them I was going to school, but that simple reaction truly made me reflect on my perspective of my school.
My freshman year of college, I enrolled at Madison College for the Liberal Arts Transfer program. I had no clue what I was doing, I was just...quite honestly, following in my siblings footsteps. All of my siblings had gone to Madison College, and I wasn't accepted into UW-Madison nor could I afford a different school, so I guess I would, too.
As a senior in high school, surrounded by my lifelong peers who were all going straight into big universities, I was not thrilled about this. Community college? How am I going to make friends? Will I be lonely? Will all of my friends at university forget about me? Is it embarrassing to still live with your parents while everyone else moved out after high school graduation? I had so many unanswered questions, and so many preconceptions that I had built myself.
My freshman year, I was fairly happy. I loved all of my classes and made friends in all of them. My favorite part was the little groups of friends I would form in night classes and all of us walking to our cars together, talking about funny situations and our lives.
But my friends didn't look like what friends typically look like at a university. I was friends with single mothers, people with families and full time careers, and people that didn't know what the heck Snapchat was. My friends were from all walks of life, and I loved it. It honestly taught me a lot about getting along with all sorts of people. Age is not a barrier, but sometimes just a conversation starter.
Most days, I would eat lunch alone. It wasn't that I was lonely, but community college is a bustling place and everyone has their own schedules. People here are hard workers, and most do not hang out at the school. Most people head straight to work or their families after their classes.
It wasn't weird to eat alone, and I kind of got used to it. I got to listen to my thoughts and work on homework and recharge. I felt self-conscious, though. Oh my gosh this barista has seen me eat a cheeseburger and fries for like, three weeks straight. Do I get a chicken sandwich tomorrow instead?
Then I realized that no one gives a fuck what you look like when you're eating, what you're eating, or why you're eating it. Just relax, the world isn't lookin' atchya.
My freshman year was, well, pretty neutral. Class, band, see some friends here and there, blah, blah, blah. BUT.
My second year here at Madison College is when I truly found my home here. I thought I was happy my first year, but compared to NOW, I can't imagine life the way it was last year.
My freshman year, I wrote a few articles for the Clarion student newspaper. I interviewed Mike Leckrone and got a few stories published. Doug, the adviser of the Clarion, asked me if I'd like to be an editor. I genuinely didn't think I had enough time, so I turned it down. (stupid move! always say yes to opportunities!)
My sophomore year, I applied to be opinion editor of the Clarion. I began going to the Clarion office in between classes every once in a while, just stoppin' in to say hello. This year, at just about any time, you can probably find me snug in a chair in the Student Center at the Clarion office. I always want to be there because of the people. Heck, sometimes I even come to school EARLY to see them. Everyone I've became friends with through the Clarion, the other editors and web designers, have become a family to me. The office is a hub of friendship, nicknames, snacks, lunch trips, spilling our personal lives, and wacky conversations. I can tell those guys anything. I have cried to them, been counselled by them, told them the ins and outs of my personal life, and cackled with them. When I walk through those office doors, I know that I will be safe and probably get up to no good.
This year, I do not eat lunch alone. (side note: nothing wrong with eating lunch alone!) I eat lunch with a big group of goofy friends who take multiple trips to the bakery in a day. EXACTLY my kind of people.
This year, I have a home. I feel welcome and excited to walk through the doors at Madison College--I am a representative of the student body, a voice in my school, and have a family that has my back.
I used to tell people it was difficult to make friends at community college. But now, I say quite the opposite.
Madison College has brought me the most unlikely, but strongest friendships. I am friends with people that I would have never given a second glance on the street. And through hard times, they ended up being the ones that were there for me the most.
For example, I never thought that the table I sat with on the second day of Basic Statistics would become the only reason I actually show up for my three hour math class. Math? Are you kidding me? I'm not even a STEM major, get the the FUCK out of here. BUT...well, I ended up with some pretty good friends. Friends who have to leave the classroom because we are laughing till the point of tears, friends who bring candy to share when I am upset, friends who drop what they're doing to help me with math, friends who text me to make sure I am doing okay. Real, good friends. And hilarious people--you can usually hear our table laughing together and cracking jokes from the hallways. Good thing we sit in the back. I love it.
I am truly grateful that I go to Madison College--it has taught me more about life and humanity than I think any other institution could have. It has expanded my ideas of what friendship looks like and what MY friends look like. I have worked with the most engaging, compassionate professors here. I consider a few of them my friends, one has even become sort of a mentor to me. The professors here helped me with finding my majors and even myself. I got to develop into more of an individual here, with people closely supporting me, instead of being lost in a sea of students. Knowing who I am and what I know now, I would celebrate that rejection letter with 18 year old me. It was just a push in the right direction. It was a push towards becoming me.
"What do you mean you're JUST going to Madison College? Don't put a 'just' in there. You are going to Madison College, and you should be proud."
Most people would just nod at where I told them I was going to school, but that simple reaction truly made me reflect on my perspective of my school.
My freshman year of college, I enrolled at Madison College for the Liberal Arts Transfer program. I had no clue what I was doing, I was just...quite honestly, following in my siblings footsteps. All of my siblings had gone to Madison College, and I wasn't accepted into UW-Madison nor could I afford a different school, so I guess I would, too.
As a senior in high school, surrounded by my lifelong peers who were all going straight into big universities, I was not thrilled about this. Community college? How am I going to make friends? Will I be lonely? Will all of my friends at university forget about me? Is it embarrassing to still live with your parents while everyone else moved out after high school graduation? I had so many unanswered questions, and so many preconceptions that I had built myself.
My freshman year, I was fairly happy. I loved all of my classes and made friends in all of them. My favorite part was the little groups of friends I would form in night classes and all of us walking to our cars together, talking about funny situations and our lives.
But my friends didn't look like what friends typically look like at a university. I was friends with single mothers, people with families and full time careers, and people that didn't know what the heck Snapchat was. My friends were from all walks of life, and I loved it. It honestly taught me a lot about getting along with all sorts of people. Age is not a barrier, but sometimes just a conversation starter.
Most days, I would eat lunch alone. It wasn't that I was lonely, but community college is a bustling place and everyone has their own schedules. People here are hard workers, and most do not hang out at the school. Most people head straight to work or their families after their classes.
It wasn't weird to eat alone, and I kind of got used to it. I got to listen to my thoughts and work on homework and recharge. I felt self-conscious, though. Oh my gosh this barista has seen me eat a cheeseburger and fries for like, three weeks straight. Do I get a chicken sandwich tomorrow instead?
Then I realized that no one gives a fuck what you look like when you're eating, what you're eating, or why you're eating it. Just relax, the world isn't lookin' atchya.
My freshman year was, well, pretty neutral. Class, band, see some friends here and there, blah, blah, blah. BUT.
My second year here at Madison College is when I truly found my home here. I thought I was happy my first year, but compared to NOW, I can't imagine life the way it was last year.
My freshman year, I wrote a few articles for the Clarion student newspaper. I interviewed Mike Leckrone and got a few stories published. Doug, the adviser of the Clarion, asked me if I'd like to be an editor. I genuinely didn't think I had enough time, so I turned it down. (stupid move! always say yes to opportunities!)
My sophomore year, I applied to be opinion editor of the Clarion. I began going to the Clarion office in between classes every once in a while, just stoppin' in to say hello. This year, at just about any time, you can probably find me snug in a chair in the Student Center at the Clarion office. I always want to be there because of the people. Heck, sometimes I even come to school EARLY to see them. Everyone I've became friends with through the Clarion, the other editors and web designers, have become a family to me. The office is a hub of friendship, nicknames, snacks, lunch trips, spilling our personal lives, and wacky conversations. I can tell those guys anything. I have cried to them, been counselled by them, told them the ins and outs of my personal life, and cackled with them. When I walk through those office doors, I know that I will be safe and probably get up to no good.
This year, I do not eat lunch alone. (side note: nothing wrong with eating lunch alone!) I eat lunch with a big group of goofy friends who take multiple trips to the bakery in a day. EXACTLY my kind of people.
This year, I have a home. I feel welcome and excited to walk through the doors at Madison College--I am a representative of the student body, a voice in my school, and have a family that has my back.
I used to tell people it was difficult to make friends at community college. But now, I say quite the opposite.
Madison College has brought me the most unlikely, but strongest friendships. I am friends with people that I would have never given a second glance on the street. And through hard times, they ended up being the ones that were there for me the most.
For example, I never thought that the table I sat with on the second day of Basic Statistics would become the only reason I actually show up for my three hour math class. Math? Are you kidding me? I'm not even a STEM major, get the the FUCK out of here. BUT...well, I ended up with some pretty good friends. Friends who have to leave the classroom because we are laughing till the point of tears, friends who bring candy to share when I am upset, friends who drop what they're doing to help me with math, friends who text me to make sure I am doing okay. Real, good friends. And hilarious people--you can usually hear our table laughing together and cracking jokes from the hallways. Good thing we sit in the back. I love it.
I am truly grateful that I go to Madison College--it has taught me more about life and humanity than I think any other institution could have. It has expanded my ideas of what friendship looks like and what MY friends look like. I have worked with the most engaging, compassionate professors here. I consider a few of them my friends, one has even become sort of a mentor to me. The professors here helped me with finding my majors and even myself. I got to develop into more of an individual here, with people closely supporting me, instead of being lost in a sea of students. Knowing who I am and what I know now, I would celebrate that rejection letter with 18 year old me. It was just a push in the right direction. It was a push towards becoming me.
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