College In A Nutshell
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a month since I graduated from Kent State. For a while, it didn’t feel real! But now that winter break is over and college students are going back to classes, it kind of hit me. To be honest though, I’m pretty relieved that I never have to do homework or stress out about classes again! Through it all, I was fortunate enough to attend two amazing schools (Malone University and Kent State University), serve in a college women’s ministry, study abroad a whole month, receive a degree in a major and minor that I’m super passionate about (fashion merchandising/public relations), and graduate during a global pandemic!
College has (so far) been one of the best times of my life! I’m no doubt going to be looking back on all the memories I’ve made later in life, as well as reflect on the good times with my college friends during future reunions. Heck, I’m already reflecting on the memories and good times, and it’s only been a month since graduation! So instead of feeling gloomy about being officially done with it, I decided it would be fun to look back on my experience and share some highs and lows over the past five years!
Highs of College
1.) Being able to experience life at a big public university and a small private university
I remember starting off at Malone University and loving it, but also wondering what it would have been like to attend a public university. I absolutely enjoyed the private school life, especially since it was a nondenominational Christian university, but I’m truly glad that I later on transferred to Kent for more opportunities with my passions and to serve on campus. Looking back now, I’m so grateful I got to experience attending both a private university and a public university. I will never have to wonder what it was like either way!
Me and my Malone fam in April 2016!
2.) Being a leader for Delight Ministries (in two different chapters!)
I originally found out about Delight after transferring to Kent, at the time it wasn’t on campus and the University of Akron had the closest chapter available. My two friends and later on roommates, Katie and Abby, let me come with them to check it out and I absolutely fell in love. I was longing for a Christian community filled with women around my age who had a heart for Jesus and a desire to share His love with others, as well as to use the gifts and passions He’s blessed us with to make an impact on His kindgom. A year and a half later, I joined the Akron chapter’s leadership team and ran their social media platforms. A year after that, Katie, Abby and I felt called to bring a chapter to Kent and now we have over 100 girls following our Instagram account and newsletter! If anything, Delight Ministries not only made a huge impact on my college experience but also my whole life in general. When I look back on my memories in college, Delight will definitely be one of the first ones that pop up!
Kent State Delight at Szalay’s Farm and Market in October 2019!
3.) Attending one of the top fashion schools in the nation and world
Kent’s fashion program was definitely the leading factor as to why I chose to transfer, as well as it was closer to my hometown and tuition is a bit cheaper compared to Malone. I will be honest when I say that being a fashion student is definitely not as glamorous as it may seem, and there were definitely many times I considered changing my major (Introduction to Fashion Technology especially tested me 🤣). However, it was all worth it in the end and it truly made me realize my passion for the industry and styling. I’m proud to say I had the privilege to attend one of the top fashion schools in the nation and world!
Inside Rockwell Hall aka the School of Fashion
4.) Studying abroad for a whole month
I remember how nervous I was about the idea of living abroad for a whole month on my own, but I absolutely enjoyed every single moment of it. Taking classes in Italy was an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity that I will forever be grateful for! I got to have a much better understanding of the culture and my major, as well as explore practically the whole country. It was so incredible and I can’t wait to go back once it’s safe to travel abroad again!
Posing in front of the Duomo in June 2019!
5.) Living on campus
Okay, technically at Kent, I lived off campus in an apartment, but it was still super close which is basically the same thing! The best part about it was gaining independence and confidence while learning to live on your own, as well as living with four other amazing women! I love them to the moon and back, and there’s a good chance we’ll all live in a cul de sac when we’re all married and have kids someday!
My beautiful roomies and I!
BONUS: Seeing John Mulaney perform stand-up live
In November 2018, comedian John Mulaney came to campus right after Thanksgiving break to do some stand-up. I had watched his Kid Gorgeous at Radio City special on Netflix and I became a huge fan of his around that same time, so my friends and I bought tickets as soon as we found out he was coming! It was one of the funniest shows I have ever been to, and I will never forget all the hilarious jokes he made about Kent and Ohio and how hard I was laughing. I’ll be jealous if he ever comes back now that I’m no longer a student!
Lows Of College
1.) Being away from my family and dog
Though I fell in love with college and it became my new home, that didn’t change my sorrow that came with being away from my family and my lovable pooch Max. I will say that having time apart does making seeing them a lot more sweet and special. Thankfully, only Malone was a 30 minute drive and Kent State was only 15 minutes, so I could go home and visit practically anytime I desired a home-cooked meal and to cuddle with Max in my own bed!
Maximus Bo Tullis ❤️
2.) GenEd courses …
Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever understand why exactly college students have to take GenEd courses, other than the fact that the university is just trying to get more money from us. My grandpa and I always talk about this issue and how annoying it is. I consider it a miracle that I was able to pass my statistics class!
3.) Parking services at Kent State :/
Honestly, the whole parking system at Kent is rigged. I could be parked at a coffee shop for only five minutes just so I can grab a latte and I have a $35 ticket on my car’s window! No joke, I actually witnessed someone’s car getting towed at Starbucks, and they probably weren’t parked there for that long to begin with! I truly feel like Kent’s parking services are a lot harder on students than other college campuses, which I think is pretty messed up. Hopefully they change the system and give out less tickets for the sake of other students!
4.) How fast it goes
When people told me how fast time goes when you’re in college, they weren’t kidding! It’s SO hard to believe it’s already over and I’m actually a college GRAD. I feel like I was just getting done with high school and preparing for the next chapter of my life. It’s crazy how these milestones fly by so fast over a big chunk of years. So if you’re getting ready to start college or are already in it, enjoy every single moment! I know you probably hear that a lot already, but it’s so true! This is such a unique time in your life when you grow and learn so much about yourself, so don’t take it for granted!
What are all y’all’s favorite memories from college? Got any advice for incoming freshmen? Comment below and share!
Yours Truly,