After what felt like forever to unpack on move-in day and finally get hit with the realization that, “wow, I live in Hoboken now,” it’s kind of hard to have a set schedule from the get-go. There’s so much to do, so much to try, and so many new people to meet. And I, for one, think that after a week of wandering the streets of Hoboken, having a spontaneous trip to New York City (NYC) with friends, and meeting new people during orientation, I finally have a schedule that I try to follow.
Since I was not used to these mattresses in Jonas, I’ve found myself waking up at 8:30 a.m. every morning. So I start my day off and contemplate whether I should go to Pierce for some food on campus or convince myself to walk around Hoboken and find a nice coffee shop to go to. Then, we have events for orientation, so I open my phone and check GroupMe to see if my peer leader has sent anything out yet. Then, I obviously had to get Starbucks because their pumpkin spice lattes were back for the season (best season in my opinion). Once orientation events wrap up and we’re free to just chill or hang out, it’s probably about 5 p.m. I’ll go back to my dorm and talk with my roommate Rebecca (love her), and then I’ll go to Pierce for dinner with my friends.
After dinner, there’s really no telling what the rest of the night is going to look like. Sometimes, my friends and I will go back to someone’s dorm and just talk for hours. Other nights we’ll decide that we’re bored and need to go find something to do. I think that’s one of my favorite parts about being in Hoboken so far. There’s always something going on, and even when there isn’t, there’s always someone willing to make something happen. It’s definitely different from being at home, where my days felt a lot more predictable.
One of the biggest adjustments has been getting used to doing things on my own. At home, I didn’t have to think about when I was going to eat, what I was going to do for the day, or whether I had enough time to get somewhere. Now, I’m constantly checking my phone, looking at GroupMe or Slack, figuring out where I need to be, and trying to make plans with people. I feel like I’m becoming more independent without even really noticing it.
I also think that my schedule is going to look completely different once classes actually start. Right now, orientation has been keeping me busy, but soon I’ll have to balance classes, homework, friends, meals, and hopefully getting enough sleep. I’m sure there will be days when my plans completely fall apart, but that’s okay. College is about being open to things you didn’t plan for, whether that means grabbing coffee somewhere new, going into New York with friends, or staying up way too late talking in someone’s dorm.
So, while I may not have a perfectly organized routine yet, I think I’m starting to create one that actually feels like mine. And honestly, after only a week, I’d say that’s a pretty good start.
