The College Experience Begins

Sharon Carpenter is a 2016 graduate of Wayne Memorial High School. At the end of her senior year, she was uncertain of where she would attend college and how she would afford it. Now, she is attending Michigan State University and receiving a full scholarship. Sharon is the first in her family to attend college and is no stranger to challenges. Please check out her two-part podcast here to hear her backstory. 

By Sharon Carpenter

So here I am, riding in a 2 door f-150 on my way to East Lansing. How do I feel? Excited, anxious and like everything is unrealistic. In one hour I will be home in a small room with Kaylie (my roommate). It will be a change, considering I have never shared a room before.

I was never nervous, I was more excited than anything but now that I am on my way to Michigan State I can feel the nervousness. What am I nervous about? Time management, I think is so key in being successful in college. At home I was not too worried about time management because everything was planned out for me. Now, I am an adult and can make my own schedule. I think that's what scares me the most, everything that is waiting at Michigan State is unknown.

Why fear the unknown? I think it's good for me to admit that I am a little scared for the unknown, but I think that's what keeps us going. For example, like at the exact time I was in Sean Galvin's office deciding if I wanted to attend Michigan State University or Schoolcraft Community College. I had no idea what to expect from Michigan State University, but Schoolcraft college was more in my comfort zone. DON'T STAY IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE! I knew that I would live in the same house with the same room and the same colored walls. Schoolcraft would be 20 min away from home, easy drive means saving money on gas. Also I would always have my grandparents to rely on. But I decided to face my fear, which is what I'm doing currently at 9:03 am. My fear of how I am going to unpack and be able to meet new people and finding a job is building up. Facing my fear is not only the best part, it's when you accomplish so much more from the day you face your fears.

When I chose to go to Michigan State I never thought I would have any roadblocks. I didn't want to imagine what can happen in the future that could potentially bring me down. I believe now that I have so much passion for who I am going to become that I will not let anything get in my way. I am so thankful for this opportunity that I do not want to mess this up. Although, many things can get in my way I will gain experience on how to handle certain situations.

So here I am an anxious freshman at Michigan State University, ready to move in and get my college life started.