The First Time I: Was on my Own

College isn't just about passing classes and getting a degree. It's unarguably a time of immense personal growth and change. There are a multitude of experiences to be had, unique people to encounter, and unpredictable circumstances on the daily.

Experiencing something for the first time may be difficult, or even unpleasant. Wayne State University students have been inspired by first experiences gaining new perspectives, taking hesitant first steps, and growing into respectable people.

Courtney Mintz

Courtney Mintz, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice, calls her first experience living on her own transformative. However, her first night moving into Atchison Hall was a bit rough. Mintz called her mom, uncle and grandma begging to get picked up.

“I stayed up that whole night. I didn’t make my bed or anything,” said Mintz. “I left everything in the boxes. I looked at my roommate, and I was like, ‘I’m not staying here long so like... I’m not going to talk to you because, I want to go home.’”

When it came to campus activities and freshman welcome events, Mintz said she would stay in her room because she didn’t want to go alone. She added it was difficult to put herself out there after coming from her school district, River Rouge, and having to make new friends. She’d spent years surrounded by the same people since kindergarten. Although Mintz’s roommate was kind and attempted to get to know her, she was still apprehensive.

“I was like: ‘I don’t like it here, I don’t even know this girl. She might try to kill me in my sleep. I don’t want to be here,’” Mintz said. “I have never had to share a room ever in my life, let alone share a bathroom. I’m like, ‘what if she’s disgusting?’ I was just like thinking ‘I can’t do this.’”

Once she realized that no one was going to come and take her come, Mintz began to unpack. Seeing her roommate’s decorations also motivated her to begin sprucing up her space. It took her some time, but she eventually befriended her roommate.

“She was like really cool and she was like talking to me and everything. She was really goofy and I saw a bit of myself in her,” said Mintz.

Within a couple of weeks, Mintz began to embrace a new found independence. She learned to become more adventurous, which lead to feelings of happiness and self-actualization.

“I started making friends, working on campus, and everything just fell into place,” Mintz said, “Now, I’m more outgoing. I’m not as shy anymore. I learned to just go with the flow at times.”

While working in catering for McGregor Memorial Hall, Mintz has had the opportunity to reflect on the opportunities she missed as a freshman.

“I had to cater orientations and I was just sitting there like, I didn’t even go to this last year,” she said. “I just went to class and went back to my room.”

If Mintz could go back and time, she said she would urge the freshman version of herself to stop acting so antisocial. Mintz recognizes that she puts up a guard quickly when she is in new situations, but she has learned and changed so much.

“First experiences are uncomfortable because you have to step out of that comfort zone in order to progress… If I would’ve unpacked stuff quicker, I could’ve enjoyed everything more,” said Mintz.

Obadeh Mohiddin

When freshman biochemistry major Obadeh Mohiddin tentatively entered his dorm room on move-in day, little did he know that he was about to meet strangers that he'd later refer to as his brothers.

“I was terrified because I’ve never been to camp as a kid, I’ve never lived away from my family,” said Mohiddin. “To live around new people is terrifying, especially if they’re slobs or just really mean, inconsiderate people - but I’ve met literally the sweetest people and I’m so grateful.”

Mohiddin, Rami Dahbour and Perry Smith live in what used to be the study room on the 8th floor of Towers Residential Suites. Unusual housing circumstances have brought three strangers together in what has become a tight-knit friendship despite knowing each other for only two months.

“Rami and I are almost the exact same person,” said Mohiddin. “We finish each other’s sentences; we compete like brothers. Perry, I never would’ve imagined him to be the kind of guy he is, he’s like a big teddy bear and he makes me laugh so hard.”

Although Mohiddin was initially worried about how he would relate to his roommates, he was pleasantly surprised when Smith offered to help him put away his heaviest suitcase the second he met him. Smith has since taken Mohiddin to a skate park for the first time, an experience Mohiddin says he would not have had on his own.

Dahbour and Mohiddin play video games and attend sporting events together. The two communicate very well, despite the fact that they each claim to be the best looking resident in their room.

“I think we were all just sitting here together talking, and we felt this sort of organic vibe. People wondered whether or not we had known each other beforehand. That’s how we knew. People saw us as this one unit that worked really well together,” Mohiddin said.

First experiences in a new environment can be daunting, but taking the first steps into his dorm room worked out quite well for Mohiddin. He certainly wouldn’t trade his new roommates for the world.

Sharon Amalraj

Moving into her first residence hall allowed freshman biology major, Sharon Amalraj to discover and exercise a newfound independence. However, she explained move-in day as both overwhelming and emotional.

As Amalraj arrived, she was quickly disoriented by the commotion of other students and their families unloading stuff. Amalraj can describe her initial feelings of the day in three words: crowded, packed and stressful.

“I did forget a lot [of my belongings] at home; so I went home the upcoming weekend to bring everything else that I needed,” said Amalraj.

However, Amalraj acknowledged that there were highlights to her day. She said one of them was the opportunity to decorate her dorm. Amalraj was able to create a personal space for herself and she enjoyed adding in decorative tidbits and personal touches to make her dorm more representative of her style.

“It was fun to transform my room into the way I like it and to make it feel more like home,” said Amalraj. “I felt very excited to move in, but I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t be able to find the comfort that I have at home.”

Immediately after moving in and saying goodbye to her parents, Amalraj was able to experience her first freshman orientation event. Freshmen were encouraged to meet near the volleyball courts in order to mingle with their peers at an afternoon barbecue.

“It was huge. There were so many people. I had a lot of fun since I was able to meet a lot of new people and make friends,” she said.

Despite the fact that Amalraj and her roommate did not see each other until later in the afternoon of move-in day, they quickly banded together as they set forth attending the various freshman events available to them. It was a beneficial alliance considering the “newness” of everything. Having somebody by her side to help her become better acclimated to college life put Amalraj at ease.

“For the Warrior Uproar, my roommate and I didn’t know how to get to the football field from where we were [Old Main]. It was pretty scary at first since we were really lost, but it was fun afterwards since we were able to figure out the campus,” said Amalraj. “Now we know where almost everything is because of that.”

Weeks have passed since move-in day and Amalraj has had time to reflect on the prospect of living away from home for the first time. There have been several ups and downs along the way.

“The worst thing would probably be having to make my own food or having to always go out to get food. Also the prices since everything is so expensive,” she said.

Amalraj is especially proud of the fact that she has become a more independent person. She has fallen into a comfortable routine and she has enjoyed her time at WSU so far. Her first experience moving in was ultimately a good one.

“I love that the only person I have to rely on is myself. I love how my classes worked out with breaks so my day doesn't seem too long,” said Amalraj.

http://www.thesouthend.wayne.edu/features/article_c10b7eb6-7420-11e5-af15-4b422cd65508.html