Dear Annie
I am writing this letter while I reflect on your first year out of high school. The more I look back, the more I realise how different it is to how you are imagining and dreaming it to be. Let me tell you a little secret. Surprise! You are at Rhodes University, and wait for it, you are studying Journalism! I know this is quite a shock for you; you didn’t see that coming did you! I don’t even know how we ended up here, we just did, but trust me it is a good thing and you will really enjoy it.
Your first year at university will be filled with new surroundings, fantastic friends, exciting moments and sharp learning curves around every corner. You will laugh, you will smile, but you will also come across tough moments, which you will get through, as you always do. Most of all I want to focus on a specific aspect of your first year. This is the homesickness you will feel.
We both know that you are independent enough not to let homesickness get to you too much, but as the weeks of the terms pass by you will slowly begin to miss interacting and being with your family back home. However, you will be able to deal with these moments and build in character at the same time. What I really want to emphasise is something which took me slightly by surprise. Living in residence made me suddenly realised how much I love wide open spaces. Being confined to a small area of a small town started to actually bug me as I longed for a change of scenery and to be able to stare out into distant views. During the year I dreamt of taking long walks in the beautiful area in which we are fortunate to live back home. This aspect of homesickness took me by surprise as it was the last thing I thought I would really miss when I was having the time of my life at Rhodes.
I know that you already appreciate the beautiful countryside in which you live, but now you can take even more advantage of it. With regards to all the other aspects of first year you will cope just fine. Having been through it all, I believe that it is more exciting to face the unexpected as this is how you will learn and grow.
Most of all remember to have fun!
With love
Annie
Friday, September 26, 2008
Let me tell you a secret...
Posted by Ann at 7:05 AM
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1 comments:
Annie, I enjoyed reading your letter because I, too, experienced many of the things that you spoke about. My letter was similar to yours in the sense that we acknowledged that everything at University is not all sunshine and roses. The fact that there are difficulties along the way, whether it be in res or merely with someone you just do not get along with, is an important issue that people tend to neglect to tell first years. You gave wise, mature advice that reflected a warm, maternal character. I also really enjoyed the fact that you brought elements of your home life into the letter and compared it with life here at Rhodes.
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