And at This Time Tomorrow…

Tomorrow morning I will be on a plane heading towards Providence, Rhode Island. My cohort and I will meet at 3:40 AM at El Cerrito High School. Although the time we are expected to arrive at El Cerrito High School is in the wee hours of the morning, I am sure I will be bright-eyed as I arrive on campus. I will be beyond excited and will probably wake-up with ease. I have been anticipating this trip since the informational session held at my school about the Ivy League Connection. Before I was accepted into the program, however, it was a surreal idea to imagine myself going to Brown University.

I have been reading the blogs of the other ILC students to get an idea of what to expect. I know they had a blast, and I am thrilled to experience a similar escapade to the ones they described in their blogs! The Brown-I cohort sent Don descriptions and pictures of their living accommodations. A majority of my packing decisions were based on the descriptions.  I was weary that all of my items would not fit into my checked bag. My sister suggested that I bring the luggage that my grandma gave my family. However, her suitcase is 2 feet wide and 2.5 feet long. You could pack a month’s worth of clothes in the suitcase!  If I were to bring the suitcase, others would think that I was a foreign student. I decided not to use the suitcase (it was gigantic!). Now all of my clothes are clean and packed! I finished packing on Sunday; I wanted to finish packing early so that I would not have to stress about things I needed at the last minute.

Yesterday I went to Round Table Pizza with my Brown II cohort. Ms. Neal and Don were able to update us on our trip and reinforce the rules that we are expected to abide by. At Round Table, I was able to converse with the Women and Leadership students. As we learned more about one another, the nervousness and anxiousness decreased. 

I cannot wait to experience the glimpse of college life. I am looking forward to taking the Women and Leadership course, staying in a dorm room, and being independent. Although I am used to being apart from my parents, I always learn something new about myself when I am expected to be independent. I am confident that it will not be hard to adjust to. Although, it is probable that it will initially be difficult when adjusting to the East Coast time zone.  

Before we check-in at Brown, my cohort and I will be visiting Yale, Brandeis, Wellesley, and Boston University. Since I will be graduating in two years, I will definitely take advantage of this experience and learn about the programs offered at these universities. Although the Internet is the most promising way to receive information about college acceptance requirements, it will be useful to ask the admission officers directly.

I have researched a few fun facts about Brown University. They are not official facts but I believe they were submitted by students at Brown. It is said that there is a staircase that emulates the pH scale. Within one of Brown’s libraries there are stored documents from Christopher Columbus that elaborate on his voyage. Another strange fact I discovered was that there is an anatomy book covered in human skin in one of Brown’s libraries. However, I doubt the legitimacy of this fun fact.

I feel that my trip to Brown in itself is symbolic. Brown was the first among the Ivy Leagues to accept students of all religions. One of my virtues is to be accepting of others. While I am at Brown I will be open-minded, and it is my goal to meet a lot of individuals from different parts of the world.

New experiences create lasting memories.