With the fall semester underway at California Baptist University, many students settled back into college life, and some experienced it for the first time. However, being away from home and taking that big step into independence is something all college students experience.
Jonah Baima, resident advisor for Village and senior radiologic sciences major, described the new independence freshmen face as a trial run of them finally being themselves.
“As an RA, I would say that most freshmen are looking for a unique experience, and this is their first taste at being their own person,” Baima said.
This newfound independence offered students a special opportunity to grow as people. Baima gave insight on how he became his own self on campus while still having the ability to go home in times of need, which gave him the chance to grow as an individual.
“I know a lot of others don’t have that advantage, and that can be more isolating to be here by yourself and really depend on yourself more,” Baima said. “It’s a unique opportunity to grow and develop as you have to rely on yourself more than anyone else.”
The unique experience presented to freshmen to grow into who they are came with hurdles to overcome as well. These challenges included making friends, discovering places on campus or doing simple things like laundry, and all acted as motivation for change to help someone overcome struggles and better themselves.
Abigail Shafer, freshman pre-nursing major, expressed how exciting her new independence from home is.
“Back home, if I was waking up late, my mom would be like, ‘Hey, get out of bed.’ I have to wake myself up now, put myself to bed, make sure I get enough sleep, do my homework,” Shafer said.
Shafer also spoke about the warm welcome she received as a freshman at CBU.
“It doesn’t feel too different from home. I think it’s because you’re surrounded by a great community, like I was at home; it just honestly feels like a second home,” Shafer said.
With Shafer’s newfound community at CBU, she was able to find her place and meet friendly people. She described the surprise she felt about how everyone on campus was so positive and welcoming.
“It was a shock by just how much everyone puts themselves out here. Everyone was just like ‘Hi, nice to meet you.’ Everyone was just being very welcoming, and I never felt alone. It was just really good,” Shafer said.
Paxton Lavigne, sophomore mechanical engineering major, elaborated on the college experience of independence from home and parents.
“A lot of people come to college, especially those who come to live on campus, as a way to get away from how things used to be with where they lived, especially living with their parents,” Lavigne said.
Baima reflected on the struggles of his freshman year that surprised him. Some days included having a group of friends to eat with, while other times meant having to overcome eating alone, emphasizing that sometimes it is okay to embrace solitude.
“You gotta have time to be alone and have free thoughts, you don’t have to fill it with something else every other moment,” Baima said.
The alone time Baima described is a part of being away from home, sometimes leaving a busy or small household. The constant fast-moving pace of college life could spark a feeling of being left out. Setting aside time to build community through campus activities could help ease that loneliness.
“Seriously, just to get involved with something on campus, whether it’s a club or intramurals or something like that,” Lavigne said. “That’s the only way to really meet people easily outside of your living area.”
Clubs and intramurals, like the Art Club or intramural basketball, offered great opportunities to connect and meet people.
The independence gained from moving to college brought both excitement and challenges. There will be times when students may feel alone or left out, but CBU offers a welcoming environment where students have many opportunities to grow and interact with campus life. The community aspect of college and the independence from home gave students a pathway to develop as individuals.
