TEEN CENTER :: COLLEGE CENTER :: FRESHMAN JOURNAL

November 2002

The More I Change,
The More I Stay
The Same

By Caitlin Noris
Special to The Wall Street Journal

Since I am half-way through my first semester, I decided to look back and do a inventory of sorts on how my life has changed. Although I expected things to change a little, it is amazing how different life is. I feel like I have grown up more in the last 3 months than I did in the last four years of high school.

First, it was extremely hard to move away from my family.  Even though I was always independent, I relied on my parents for emotional support.  Being a thousand miles away from Miami was initially tough.  I missed my mom so much I bought a plane ticket and went home for a weekend. Going home both eased my homesickness, but also made me appreciate Pittsburgh. We may not have palm trees or beaches here, but I have come to enjoy actually having four seasons. Being thrust into such an entirely different environment was scary but exciting, and I am glad I made the decision to move so far away.

The type of friends I have also changed.  At home, I had a few true friends and lots of acquaintances. Truthfully, by my senior year, I was not happy with most of my friends.  I do miss some certain people, but in general moving away has allowed me to start over.  Moreover, the people I have met here are very different compared to what I am used to.  I have one friend from Ohio with a funny accent, and I know another girl whose graduating class had only thirteen people! To some people, this is normal; however, it is an abnormality to me.  Such diversity has made my social circle here unique and lively.

The quirks I have developed while at school are also unusual.  First of all, everyone, myself included, is addicted to coffee as a result of pulling too many all-nighters. Plus, I think of all meals in terms of “meal blocks” or “dining dollars”—even when I am at a restaurant. Even more ridiculous is that when I am off campus, I cannot help but dial 9 before any number. I never go to sleep before one o’clock in the morning on weeknights because I am either studying, partying, or wasting time with my friends.

Some things have remained constant, however. I am still an overachiever. I stress out over the little things that are not really important.  I still love to dance and to go out until the wee hours of the morning. I continue to put off doing my laundry until I run out of underwear and am forced to wear a bathing suit bottom.

Caitlin Noris, originally from Miami, Fla., is a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. Her Freshman Journal will be updated periodically on the Classroom Edition Web site.