Turning of a Page

Reading Syllabi. Making To-Do lists. Reading pages and pages...  and pages of textbooks.

It is officially time to start school again. Today marks my first day of college classes and a new chapter of my life. If I said I was anything other than excited and nervous, I'd be lying. I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't already overwhelmed. 

I have so many goals and expectations for this year. Of course, I'm a student first and I want to finish this semester with an awesome GPA. But I want more than a number to describe me on campus- I want to get involved and meet students who are passionate about the same things that I am. College is such a big world and a small pond at the same time... and I'm just trying to find my niche.

There are clubs affiliated with my major, which I plan to get involved with. Pharmacy is not, in any world, and easy major. I need all the support and help I can get. Enter, Pharmacy clubs. Nerdy? Yes. But Purdue is basically a school of nerds so it's actually completely normal here... Unfortunately, so are the Pokemon clubs. Yes, Pokemon.

Socially, of course a sorority is my top choice. Recruitment begins this week and will be a huge, time-consuming part of my next couple of weeks. Basically, I need to keep the coffee coming because I will be getting no sleep. All through high school, I was involved with the Riley Dance Marathons, which have become the Children's Hospital's largest donor (Yay DM!!!). Purdue has set the bar high- $1 Million to Riley this year, and I want to be a part of this awesome fundraiser! Besides Panhellenic Affiliations, I want to get into the Riley Dance Marathon and hopefully get placed in some leadership roles in the future.

College is a time for trying new things, right? Well I've never been really involved in sports. I love college football and basketball, tailgates, dressing up- I live for all that! But I might try something a little bit more out of my comfort zone and by a bit I mean completely 100% out there! I was invited by the coach of Purdue's rowing team to come check it out. I was a little skeptical at first, but College Prepster did it, so I can too... right? Sure. I'll see what it's all about... So here's to the new me! 

I have been so excited for college since about... freshman year of high school (okay maybe not but you get it). Now that it's finally here, I'm going to sacrifice sleep to see what it's all about! 

I'm ready for the ride of my life! 

What's in a Word: Prep

Today, I came under fire in my Sociology class. Okay, maybe not "under fire", but our debate got a little heated. We've been talking about social groups and classifications and had to share aloud a group that we have observed on campus. Just my luck, the first group named was the Preps. While I don't necessarily group myself with the Preps at my school (who are only classified as preps because they are popular), I wanted to argue the idea that there are ANY groups of true Preps at my school. I needed to defend the label!

Before I go any further, let me clarify the area that I live in. It's not exactly lower-class, but no Gossip Girl upper East side, either. It's a suburb out of a nice city, but it's kind of an awkward area: farms mixed with city doesn't mix well. The groups mentioned today included the trashy kids, skaters, rednecks, and farmers. And with that, I'll replay today's in-class debate.

While Prep is another word for popular here, I know the true definition. Most people didn't even realize that Prep came from privileged, East Coast prep school students. Ridiculous? I'd say so. They went on to say that Preps are stuck up and rude. The truth is, true Preps are not stuck up; true Preps live a lifestyle not easily related to. Vacations to Martha's Vineyard and the Hamptons, large endowments, and old money are all custom to the classic, WASP Preps.

Then, there are the new Preps: The Southern Preps. They live in lavish homes on the beach with palm trees shading their beautiful pools. Lilly Pulitzer everything decorates their homes and bodies as they sun themselves on the beach. Once again, their lifestyle is quite challenging to relate to.

Regardless of the Prep lifestyle, I feel that it is a widely misused label. Those who are Preps where I live would be a disgrace to a real Prep. What's in the word Prep? It's money, power, and class. While I can hardly classify myself as a real Prep, I am a prep for where I live. While it may have been meant in a derogatory term, I enjoyed arguing the label today and will forever wear my plaid and Lilly proudly!

What'd you do today that strengthened who you are?