College Expectations

Since I can remember, I have always known that I wanted to go to college. More than that, I knew I wanted to go to The University of Texas at Austin. The Longhorn tradition runs in my family. Both my parents graduated from UT and met there. I also have 4 aunts, 2 uncles, and 2 cousins that went to UT. I was born and raised a Longhorn fan. I grew up wearing burnt orange and watching games and cheering on the Longhorn football team to victory with my dad. My parents always encouraged me to do my best in high school to be able to make the decision of where I wanted to go to college. While I had much fun sharing the Longhorn tradition with my family as I was growing up, they never wanted me to go to a college just because it was where they had gone. They wanted me to go where I wanted to go and where was best for me.

I spent a lot of time watching UT football games and cheering on the Longhorns with my family.

As I began my search for the college of my dreams, I kept an open mind. I visited many campuses and looked into many colleges. Nowhere other than The University of Texas, however, felt like home, felt like the place I needed to be. Just like that explained in Jude the Obscure, “It had been the yearning of his heart to find something to anchor on, to cling to – for some place which he could call it admirable” (817). I was searching for a place where I belonged, and I had found it. I just knew it; UT was the best option for me. I do believe I made the choice on my own, based on my conscious effort. However, I also believe there were unconscious things that affected my decision as well. “The contents of the personal unconscious are available through hypnosis, guided imagery, and especially dreams” (180). As described by Carl Jung in the Ancestral Voices of the Collective Unconscious as Inspiration, “it is also possible that education, career, or clothing style has been influenced by a great deal of unconscious material: parents’ preferences, childhood experiences, even movies you have seen but about which you do not think when you make choices or decisions” (180).

This is a picture of the high school I graduated from, Plano Senior High School.

Through my high school years, I had to work very hard to achieve my dream of getting into The University of Texas. I knew where I wanted to go; all I needed to do was get in. My high school was very large and very competitive. I graduated in a class of 1300 graduating seniors. I was very involved in high school in many organizations such as an officer in Student Congress, National Honor Society, a spirit organization, Fashion Club, and a competitive dance team, Plano Dance Force. I was very busy, and I also needed to work hard in school to keep my grades up in order to get into college. I became very good at time management and developed good study habits. I am very thankful I learned those skills then because they have been imperative in college already. When I got my letter in the mail, I could not be more excited that I was accepted into The University of Texas. I felt a calling just like Elizabeth’s Ghosts “The University of Texas called to her: the massive sprawling campus, filled with students with lives totally unlike her own, and people who would not know the girl she was before, or expect her to always be the same” (834).

The UT tower, a significant part of the UT campus.

I had many expectations of college before coming to Austin. Just like Elizabeth, I “wanted scholarship, new experiences, and freedom from her past self” (834). My expectations of college contained a mix of emotions. I was excited for all the freedom and opportunities given to me. I have gotten the opportunity to be exposed to many different people and experiences. Also, I have the freedom to do what I want. I was also scared about all the responsibility that now lays in my hands. With freedom comes much responsibility. I have to decide when to do what and stay on top of all my schoolwork. I was also nervous about finding my place I would fit in the massive campus. I had many questions when coming to college. Would I “find that place in this city if he could get there?” (817) The campus is filled with so many people, it is easy to feel lost sometimes. I am still looking to find exactly where I fit in. I feel I “suddenly grew older” (817). I am still the same person; I have the same dreams, values, and morals. While I am still the same, I feel that college is such a pivotal point in my life. It is a time for me to become the person I will be for the rest of my life and a time to prepare to be on my own in the outside world.

So far, my college experience has been great. I have met many new people, done well in my classes, gotten involved on campus, and had many other great experiences. I can’t believe how fast the first semester of college is flying by. I am looking forward to spend the next four years at The University of Texas learning from the people around me and growing as a person.