Freshman columnist reflects on first year at Augustana

Hours before I stepped out of my parents' giant gray Astro Van to begin my freshman year at Augustana, I could feel the butterflies swarming in my stomach. It took days for their giddy wings to cease their flapping through the commotion of moving, meeting new faces and entering a whole new world. However, the moment the tiny ripples in my gut began subsiding, I started to feel right at home.

I think the freshman experience at Augustana is unlike that which you would find at any other institution. Being the oldest in my family, I had no idea what to expect upon entering college. Throughout my first year here, I discovered a wide array of qualities which, in my book, makes Augustana incomparable to other schools.

I entered Augustana as a music education major. That decision lasted about a week. I could feel early on that I wasn't in my element and decided to switch majors. Thus, I found myself undeclared. Exploring, as I like to call it.

The decision to change majors so early in my college career added even more stress to the already manic transition into college. It also opened my eyes to the genuinely involved faculty we have at Augustana. With the help of professors, I was able to make a fluid transition into a couple new courses that made my fall semester a success.
In addition to a caring staff, Augustana also has a unique student body.

Moving into a confined space with 35 other girls may not seem like an ideal way to begin a new phase of life, but I'm thankful for the privilege to say that I have had an exquisite time forming friendships with many of my neighbors.

A number of my floormates have become some of my closest friends at Augie. We've found many ways to make life exciting. From carving pumpkins and baking Christmas cookies to holding Disney movie nights and crafting lightsabers from wrapping-paper tubes, there have rarely been occasions in which I haven't enjoyed the company of the girls from Solberg Hall.

Augustana has also presented me with a number of ways to fill the cherished amounts of free time I find myself with.

My floor was active in the Dog Eat Dog floor competitions hosted by the Elmen Center. The competition is a simple way to stay active and an amusing way to have some floor bonding time. It's been exciting to see our floor succeed. We currently stand in fifth place and hold the top spot of all the freshmen floors in the women's bracket.

I also jumped at the opportunity to become involved in Augustana's chapter of Relay For Life. I was captain of ''The Pussycat Dolls,'' a team formed by my floor. We spent numerous hours together planning bake sales, brainstorming campsite themes and walking at the Relay on Saturday, April 24, to show our support for cancer awareness and prevention.

As my freshman year at Augustana comes to a close, I'm left with the feeling that I couldn't have found a better place to call home for these four short years of my life. Hearing someone talk about the superb liberal arts education, formation of lifelong friendships and outstanding opportunities available while taking visit after visit to school after school gives a surface-level view of what college can be like, but experiencing these opportunities firsthand is a whole different ball game.

The way I see it, any campus can give you butterflies. It's the process of dissolving those butterflies that proves you have made the right choice.