Heading into the second semester as a fourth-year student, the university has felt much more like a secondary home compared to my first year.
As time has gone by, I’ve adjusted to the life of going to college, hence why the experience has improved for me year after year. But the university isn’t a second home because of my time as a college student. It’s a second home because I developed a home while being at the university.
Throughout my time at Ferris, I have made sure I’ve done multiple things to ensure that I feel like I’m part of a community. I’ve developed friendships that will last me a lifetime, I’ve attended sporting events like football and basketball games and attended campus events like second chance prom.
Doing all these things has helped me look forward to the upcoming semesters. I have things to be excited about and people to see. It’s better to find your people and find the entertainment aspects of college instead of just going there to get your education, even though that is still very important.
Getting myself out there and keeping myself engaged and involved on campus was not just for entertainment, but for the sake of overcoming my homesickness, which is something I experienced early on during my time as a Ferris student. Developing college as a second home has made me appreciate college a lot more and has helped me worry less about missing my family and the next time I will be returning home.
Speaking of home, it was important for me to make my college experience one I would remember because it would be the first time I would be living away from home. Even though my hometown is only an hour and fifteen-minute drive from the university, I still had to ensure I knew the campus and developed my community of people because I knew my parents wouldn’t be there for me if I needed something.
Making friends at college has been a lot easier compared to making friends in high school, which is one of the many reasons why I’m enjoying my college experience more than my high school days. I know that if I hadn’t made the friendships I have right now in college, my overall experience wouldn’t be as memorable or enjoyable.
Your friends are your community.
All students can make their college campus a secondary home if they take the approach and keep themselves active and involved on campus. The college experience provides numerous opportunities that can all feel like home away from family.
What’s great about Ferris is that the university has a lot of athletics, having multiple sports seasons take place in the fall, winter and spring. Bringing a friend or two to the sporting events provides opportunities to have fun with your friends, cheer on your fellow student athletes and put aside the academics.
If students are curious about attending a campus event, they’re never too hard to find, whether posted online or on the walls of dorms or campus buildings. Campus events occur year around giving students multiple chances to attend something that sparks their interest and to be with their community.
I want to encourage every student at Ferris to take the opportunities to make college feel like a home away from home. Even with all the homework, there are still many ways that students can create a second home for themselves. Students should not be focused on their academics for the entirety of their college careers.
Every student should feel like college is a home away from home. College should not just be enjoyed and remembered in terms of preparing for your future, but for creating memories that will last a lifetime.