2019 alumni share their insights on their first semester of college. (Sarah Neltner ‘20/Media)
This past Tuesday, January 7, juniors and seniors congregated in the Trustees room for an informational discussion on the adjustment to college life, moderated by senior Mike DeAscentis, and headlined by five 2019 graduates: Mira Bhasin (University of Southern California), Chris Boyle (Brown University), Caroline Driggs (Denison University), Ryan Milbourne (University of Colorado Boulder), and Dorrian Moultrie (Georgetown University).
With a semester now under their belts, the group of first years shared their suggestions on how to have a successful transition. “Most surprising” for Chris Boyle and Dorrian Moultrie, both D-I athletes, was adapting to their hectic schedules.
For the other students, adjusting to the workload and living in a college dormitory came as initial difficulties, yet for Caroline Driggs, she was appreciative with how prepared Academy made her when compared to others classmates.
Mira Bhasin addressed the common pressure many students feel to “reinvent” themselves, noting that while it’s a perfect time to improve yourself and become the person you want to be, it isn’t sustainable or beneficial to anyone to reshape yourself into any thing inauthentic.
Social media, an often criticized area of college life. As we all know, social media is being increasingly criticized for its unrealistic, almost utopian presence that users create for themselves, and college is no different. Ryan Milbourne encouraged the audience not to buy into the facade that apps like Snapchat or Instagram yet reinforced that these platforms are great ways to meet your future roommate.
Other notable pieces of advice came from Dorrian Moultrie, who encouraged the audience to take classes that are beyond your comfort zone, something he learned after spending a semester in a gender study class.
If those seated took anything away from the discussion, it is that yes, transitioning to college will be difficult and there are bound to be unexpected challenges that arise on a frequent basis. Nonetheless, there is no chance in your life to learn and meet new people like these four years, and there is no place quite like Columbus Academy that prepares you for what’s to come.
