As an incoming first-year student, I was intimidated by what those around me expected to experience when I came to college: parties, drinking, smoking – all components of the stereotypical “college experience.” I’ve never really been interested in any of that, but I hadn’t heard very much about the other aspects of what life at a university could be like, so I was in the dark about anything else.
After spending a couple of weeks settling into one of the biggest party schools in the U.S., I feel as though I can provide some insight into answering the key question: What is the college experience, really?
Moving into college, I was positively buzzing with excitement: for the first time in my 18 years of life, I was finally on my own in a new place, a universal experience for college first-year students everywhere. I knew I wanted to get out and explore all that Miami University’s campus had to offer. I didn’t know where to start, so I turned to my peers.
A lot of their plans included going out to the bars Uptown or checking out parties, so I was a little bummed. I wanted to have fun like the others around me, but my idea of fun looked different from theirs. I decided to take matters into my own hands and find my own version of the college experience.
It took a couple of weeks, but eventually, I started discovering gold mines across campus and Oxford that better suited my definition of fun.
I browsed the weekly Farmer’s Market Uptown, stopping to buy a bouquet and a pastry. I’ve wandered around town, discovering new coffee places and window shopping all the adorable boutiques. I signed up for a few different group workout classes at the recreation center, trying some relaxing yoga classes along with the more intense spin sessions. I even joined a couple of organizations to branch out, and have met some of the best people.
Some of these things I loved, and others I’ve decided maybe aren’t for me. Through trial and error, I’ve found a lot of really great activities to fill my downtime here at Miami, even if they’re not the same ones that others might be participating in.
There is no right answer to what the “college experience” really is: it’s all about what you want your college experience to be. Maybe you like to be at the center of the dancefloor, or maybe you’re more like me and are more likely to be found at the rec.
At the end of the day, the college experience is all about what you make it.
Kenzi Perkins is a first-year journalism major from Somerset, Ohio. She is a staff writer for The Student in both the opinion and culture sections. She is also an active member of the Miami University Chapter of Delight Ministries.
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