The Spice of Life

My name is Jenny Weiss, and I am the assistant Variety editor for The Colonnade this semester. I am a junior mass communication major from Lawrenceville, Ga. Aside from writing, I also enjoy acting, ballet and art.

As this semester begins to wind down and comes to an end, I have noticed that by now the majority of new students at Georgia College & State University have found their niche on campus. Freshmen who entered the school year being somewhat timid and in a new environment, are now comfortably laughing and lounging on front campus with friends they’ve made throughout the year. Students of all years have joined clubs and organizations to get more involved and to enhance their college experience.

I transferred to GC&SU in the fall of 2002 from Truett-McConnell College. Talk about leaving my comfort zone! I had to leave my two-year college, where I had already established friendships, and where I was already involved in many activities. When I first arrived at GC&SU, I wanted to find my place on this campus badly. I wanted to feel like GC&SU was my home, so I began to get involved in several campus organizations.

I found my niche early on with the Baptist Student Union. Throughout the year I have remained involved and committed to this campus ministry; however, I began to feel drawn toward the Wesley House campus ministry my second semester. Getting involved in a new ministry meant taking a chance and stepping out of my comfort zone, as well as rearranging my schedule so I could join this organization without forfeiting my other commitments. At first it was scary trying something new, but it was well worth it and I am glad I was willing to interrupt my daily schedule and try something new.

Sometimes I fear that towards the middle and end of the school year, we as students begin to limit our experiences in college, because we only want to commit to the organizations that we are already involved in and comfortable with. We cling to familiarity and flee from things that interrupt consistency. Students need to be willing to branch out and try something new, even at the end of the year. You may never realize what you are missing out on if you maintain the same routine all four (or five) years of college.

When breaking out of comfort zones and branching out, it’s important to remember that at first you may want to scurry back to the consistency of what you are used to. But I encourage you to take a chance! Embrace opportunities to enlarge your friendship circle and enhance your college experience. There is a quote from one of my favorite movies, “Hope Floats,” that I think is important when it comes to this: “Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 4 2003. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry