Monday, December 21, 2009

Well...so much for the blog.

Soooo, I got a little side tracked it seems. I am not going to do a huge enormous update because I am too lazy. And that's the honest truth. Overall, first semester freshman year went well. I love all the friends I have made so far, and I am continuing to make new ones every day. Classes were very hard and it was a big transition for me to make. But I passed all of them, with minor bumps here and there. I withdrew from my hardest class, chemistry, and I plan to take it this summer..wahoo. Luckily, my mom knows a professor at UConn, and she says she is really great. But other than that minor detail, my year has been so successful. I know at times I may feel homesick, but honestly, I have made so many great friends in college and I miss them all so much. I am extremely involved in Hillel, the Jewish student group on campus, and I actually work for the group too. Hillel is a sort of family that I love to turn to when I am feeling homesick or down in general. I mean, what beats delicious home cooked meals every Friday for Shabbat? I really can't complain about anything related to UVM thus far. I am so fortunate to be attending such a great university in such a beautiful location with so many friendly, happy people! The work is hard, but it is all part of figuring out my life and eventually there will be a wonderful outcome!
Being home has given me some perspective on how much I love school. I love my home of course, and I love my family, and my friends, but this town is so small and I just feel the need to get out. Today, I went in to Canton High School to visit some old teachers. I did not get a warm welcome at all in the main office, more just faces puzzled as to why I was there. As soon as I walked in I realized how much I despised most of the teachers in the school, besides a select few, and how close- minded most of the students were. It frustrates me sometimes to see people who are so caught up in the high school life that they can't realize there is a larger world out there with larger problems. I guess that is what college is for, but being back in high school made me sooo glad to realize that I had another life outside of this tiny little town. One of the questions I was asked a lot by my former teachers was "Did high school prepare you for college?" My immediate answer was yes, as to not make them feel bad, but the more I think about it, the more my answer becomes no. Sure, high school helped me learn important things about classes and the format of tests, but nothing in this tiny little high school prepared me for the social skills needed at college. All of those came from traveling, and making new friends outside of school, and testing my limits doing risky things I normally would never allow myself to do. I guess what this whole rant is about is just me being thankful for being in college, and having a separate life outside of this tiny little town in Connecticut. On that note, thanks so much to everyone for helping me get where I am today, because I really do love my life, and I feel so fortunate to be where I am right now. Peace and Love,
Sophie