First Day of College Jitters

To all of you starting college for the first time in a couple of weeks, you know how I feel.  This is no kindergarten, middle school, or high school jitters.  We are entering an entire different chapter of our lives.  There are so many questions and concerns.  How am I going to make friends? What if I get homesick? What if I am late to my classes or what if I change my idea about what I want for my future? These questions are on constant replay in my mind.

While I am writing this, I am watching (or really listening to…) Joel Olsteen.  Joel is a TV evangelist and I’ve been watching him since I was in grade school.  He’s talking about being positive and keeping negative thoughts at bay.  It’s hard to stop negative thoughts because that’s purely human. But he says that if you verbalize your negative thoughts, you’re keeping yourself from a blessing.

Making The Decision

I'll admit, it was a hard decision   Even though I was in love with Northern the second I stepped on campus, I  was mostly afraid of what others would say when I said I was going there.  I worried endlessly about "selling myself short" and "pleasing my parents".  When you get the vibe that the people around you want something different than you do, it gets harder and harder to speak your own opinion.  I felt like I was suffocating.  My parents were pushing one place (though discretely I picked up on it after a while), a family friend was pushing me another place (someplace I didn't even apply), and my mind was pushing me in a completely different direction.