On My Own

Favorite Photography Teacher
Freshman year

Being here in the bridge program is different than anything I have done in my life. Moving to Chicago when you don’t know a single person can be a little scary. Always being someone who had things handed to me and always had someone to fall on when things weren’t going that great, to now having nobody. I have never been on my own for this long amount of time and it really makes you realize you need to grow up a lot more then when you were in high school and to take more responsibility.

One of my Dance Teachers at
my performing arts high school

Considering we have to do every possible assignment and thing that Brad and Caitlynn ask us to get into Columbia, can add on pressure to your daily life. In high school you could sometimes hand in an assignment late, or kind of work your way around the teachers, but now it’s, you better do everything on time or you get the boot. I had a certain teacher in high school who was always there for me, and when I was not doing well in a class or needed help in anything she would help me in a heartbeat. Her name was Ms. Ruch and she had all of my brothers and myself, so she knows my family better than any teacher my family has ever had through their educational life. Besides having the help and being pushed by Ms. Ruch, I became on my good side with all of my teachers. All of my high school teachers seemed to love me in some way as they said I had one of the best personalities they have seen in a student. Unfortunately it wasn’t because of my academics but because of the numerous times I made them laugh or the completely idiotic mischief I would get into. But there is a point where you should be serious about the work because once I built that relationship with my teachers they made things easier for me and gave me more exceptions. At this point in my life I wish that they didn’t because I wouldn’t have to be in a bridge program if they just taught me how to push myself instead of being able to turn something in a month late.

Now that I’m on my own I have realized money is really easy to lose and harder to make. Having to try and buy food because you missed the University Centers meal, while you have no money because you spent it all is not the ideal college life.

Staying up late to finish reading and writing essays so that they are college level, and good enough to let you stay in the program. In the program I have experienced a lot of new things, I have sat through numerous lectures about different, but fascinating things, and I have visited museums with beautiful art work. Besides the whole struggle of being on your own, which is not all bad, it’s hard to make sure you keep yourself on track, but I guess that’s why  I’m here in the bridge program is to get my act in shape.

The lectures, are my favorite part of the program because they are all so different and interesting in their own ways, I love seeing how they connect with us individuals, not as students.  The museum trips have been okay, I’m not a fan of all of the art work that we have been exposed to but I still consider it art and respect the artist even if I personally do not like the piece myself.

Now I have two homes, Washington D.C. with my family and friends and my new home, Chicago, where I’m building new friendships with my fellow classmates and professors. I almost compare being here to summer camp, it’s weird being here then you go home and never go back, or at least until next summer. But now it’s your new world and you better grow up fast or you will get lost.