Life Goes Faster Than You Think

Guest post by Maria Langenkamp (right) pictured with J. Denny and her roomie Crista Buller at an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.

It’s just two and a half more weeks until summer… two and a half weeks and I can call myself a sophomore. My first year here at Bluffton University has flown by. I’ve lost all of those precious hours somewhere amidst meeting new friends, getting involved in campus life, and earning my first few college A’s.

Upperclassmen have been telling me that college goes faster than you think; and as I look back at my first year, I whole heartedly agree. Somewhere in the whirlwind of activity I’ve managed to find the Maria I’ve always wanted to be.

Being away at college has forced me to think for myself and also take care of myself. Oh how I miss my Mom sometimes! (If she saw my unmade bed I think her heart might stop!) It appears I’ve traded in home cooked meals for adventure and privacy for fun. All and all it is a liberating feeling to be in charge of my own life, even if I regress sometimes and crave the security of home.

I expected a lot from college as I eagerly awaited orientation weekend last summer; I could barely contain my excitement at the idea of meeting new people and having a fresh start. When the first weekend of school got here I remember it going beyond my expectations. The people were so welcoming and the campus was so pretty. My RA was such a sweetheart and her kindness prompted me to open up instantly.

After a full first day of activities I specifically remember lying in my dorm room bed. It was my first time permanently sleeping somewhere else and I felt at peace; I felt perfectly at home, as if this is where God wanted me to be all along.

Classes have been going well and instead of deterring me from another year of college they have invigorated my desire to learn more. This feeling has caught me by surprise. I knew college would teach me new things about myself but I did not anticipate such a hunger for knowledge to be one of them. Of course, I am very pleased with this new development.

As my freshman year draws to close I cannot help but be in awe of how quickly my life is running by and also how perfectly happy I feel among the chaos. As the weather warms up and the trees begin to bud I have to remember to keep my nose in books and out of the tennis courts and clouds. But hey I only need to do that for two and a half more weeks.

And if college has taught me nothing else, it has taught me how fast two and a half weeks can go. I better not blink for fearing of missing May Day and that dance I’ve been preparing for. Wish me luck. Hopefully I don’t tangle up the ribbon on the Maypole!