BY CJ GIBSON<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pandemic didn\u2019t steal my freshman year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tIt just made my experience a little more\u2026limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tAnd after my first year of what others may consider the \u201cfull\u201d college experience, I\u2019ve come to realize: even at a smaller school like FHSU, there\u2019s more happening than I can keep up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tMaybe Student Engagement swung back a little hard after a year and a half of primarily virtual activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tOr maybe my Honors College overachiever FOMO exaggerated all that I was potentially missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tBut when I look back on my COVID-centered freshman year, with its less essential lectures, a shorter list of active student organizations, and an increased emphasis on mental health and self-care, I wonder whether the \u201cfull\u201d college experience is truly the best one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tAs I watch incoming freshmen, ambitious to fill their schedules with as many clubs and events as will fit, making the most of their first 40 Days and beyond, I am exhausted by proxy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tWhile regular get-togethers with peer mentors and active Living Learning Communities and all the other freshman-only advantages may have helped me get settled, I found my way eventually. And when I consider all of the on-campus opportunities since de-masking, it seems overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tWould I have been able to slow down and write articles if as a freshman I would have constantly feared missing out on something?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tSo while I\u2019ll admit at first I held a touch of envy towards the post-pandemic freshmen, I realize I was lucky: I could take my time learning to balance college life without a calendar stuffed with in-person opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\tI hope the incoming students have the chance to slow down and prioritize their mental health, too.
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