Student Blog: Back to School: First Weeks As a Seahawk

Hi! I'm Diana, a freshman Theater Studies major at Wagner College! From the moment I first sent in my application, I couldn't wait to join the seahawk family, thinking of the friends I'd make and the classes I'd take. However, as the summer came to an end, the thought of going to college seemed so daunting and scary. I immediately assumed I'd be clueless and lost and everyone would be mean and my professors would be something straight out of legally blonde. I absolutely dreaded the first day.

To provide full transparency, the first day started in the worst way possible...I was late...and I was in the wrong building looking for a class... on the other side of the campus. Thankfully a kind stranger pointed me in the right direction and I was able to find my first class.

When I thought of college professors I always imagined someone who was mean and intimidating, thankfully this was not the case for any of my professors who are kind, fun, and immensely helpful! I am taking four classes this semester, a poetry class, an art class, Script Analysis, and a reflective tutorial class that combines both art and script analysis.

My first class is poetry, I was initially expecting a formal English class with lengthy essays and instead was given an introductory course to spoken word poetry! Now I'm usually not big on poetry but spoken word is fun not only to listen to but to write! If there's anything you should take away from this blog it's this: try spoken word poetry! It's a great way to express your thoughts and emotions and best of all... you don't have to rhyme! The performance aspect of the poems is part of the fun, so if any actors are reading this, spoken word is the way to go!

My second class is a course entitled Making and Seeing Art in New York, this is an art class that focuses on art in New York but also color. I would not call myself an artsy person, but this class might change that. So far we have gone to the MoMA to go take a look at Matisse's 'Red Studio', and while Matisse's works were wonderful, 'Starry Night' definitely stole the show. It was the coolest experience to see it in person, I audibly gasped at the sight of it. It's a strange experience to constantly hear and see pictures of something and then finally be able to be within arms reach of it. This class has provided me with the coolest experiences, both in and out of the classroom. I am fortunate to have a wonderful art teacher that gives us fun activities, some of which leave me giggling at the fact that I'm in college and painting on the pavement with water. If you ever get the chance to take an art class TAKE IT!

My third class is Script Analysis. In this class, I read and analyze colors in plays. As of right now, we've read "Red" by John Logan, "Agamemnon" by Aeschylus, "Othello" by William Shakespeare, and "This is Modern Art" by Idris Goodwin and Kevin Coval. This class is led by my fun and enthusiastic professor who is just a blast to be around. Whenever we make a good point or a funny comment she leans back and snaps "yeees". I mean what better reason is there to participate than that?

And last but certainly not least is Reflective Tutorial: Rainbow Connection, a class I totally did not choose because of the Kermit song. This class combines art and script analysis. The best way to summarize this class is to simply say, we've only been in the classroom twice in our first month of class, and the rest of the time we're out and about in the city. My favorite experience in this class has to be seeing "Moulin Rouge". Even though I am a native New Yorker, I can count the number of broadway shows I have seen, on one hand, Moulin Rouge being my fourth! It was a fun night and I got to see Derek Klena perform "El Tango De Roxanne", we were all screaming our lungs out. Definitely a day for the books.

While my experiences so far have been fun, I will say it has been a little difficult to adjust to the way things work in college. The biggest challenge has been being confident in the work I hand in. I find that I second guess myself and my ability to write a good paper, even though it's something I previously succeeded in, in high school. The best remedy I found for this was to have my friends edit my essay and use resources such as my school's writing center. Getting as much advice on my work as possible reassured me that the work I submitted was something I was proud of. Another challenge I've faced is being able to socialize with my peers. As a commuter and a student who works outside of school, this has been a little tricky as I don't always have the time or energy to attend events. One way that I have found helped me in socializing was talking to those in my classes even if it's as small as discussing our papers or tests. However, one thing that has helped me the most with this has been learning to appreciate time alone. I usually hang out at the library doing homework, reading, and drawing. It's relaxing after a long day of classes but also just helps me enjoy being alone. In time the friends will come.

Overall, my first weeks of college have been fun, but definitely not what I imagined they would be. While I still have homework and projects, my classes allow me to meet and talk to different people as well as introduce me to new places. If there's any message I'd like this blog to share it's that college may be scary and daunting but 1. Not everyone's college experience is the same so don't compare yours to anyone else and 2. Have fun! It's easier said than done but don't let the overwhelming feeling of change drown out the fun and excitement!