When I started my education here, I only knew one other person that was going to this school. Unfortunately, with us being in different majors and having completely different schedules every semester, it was inevitable that we would go down different paths. It’s life. Even though I kind of expected it, I still felt rather lonely at times, and with me being already socially awkward and quiet, I felt that I did not belong anywhere during freshman year. I didn’t join any extracurriculars either because I worked after my classes, babysat, or just wanted to go home. Being a commuter, I always made my schedule with early classes so that I did not have to go home late at night, and considering most of the GBMs at Stevens start at 9:15 p.m., I really felt like I couldn’t join anything. I was friendly with anyone I spoke to in my classes, but nothing seemed to truly stick as a possible, true friendship with someone.
I remember becoming close with one girl because we both walked to the terminal after our class, and I thought, “Wow, possible friendship!” And of course, at the end of the semester, she went back to Europe since she was an exchange student. We’ve kept in touch on Instagram, but it just wasn’t the same. The next year, I became close with another girl who ended up transferring to a university in London after the semester ended. I mean, the pro is that I have connections in Europe! Still, I felt like an outsider. Most of my classmates lived on campus, did homework assignments together in the art studio, and became closer with one another. I worried that I would never be able to make those kinds of bonds.
Thankfully, sophomore year came along, and a lovely calculus class brought me to Dani. Dani is one of my Visual Arts and Technology classmates that I always saw with another girl, Aleks. We all shared many of the same art classes in our program, but I never really interacted with them during the first year other than exchanging brief comments during critiques. However, with calculus being a class that called for stress and ranting to one another, Dani and I became closer. Luckily, I also sat near Aleks in another art class which also consisted of some confusing assignments, and the yapping persisted.
From quick whispers about a project or math problem came more chats after class and even more when we would walk to the terminal together because they were commuters too! It was a relief to find people who understood the struggles, and we only grew closer ever since. Aleks brought me to my first big concert — Hozier, you amazing Irish man — and helped me so much in breaking out of my shell. Dani also joined me in applying as copy editors for The Stute when one of our classmates was scouting for newbies. Not even a month later, another classmate was looking for help on the Publicity team for Castle Point Anime Convention (CPAC), and Dani and I thought, “Why not?”
It felt great to finally be a part of something. When our group chat, “pookie nation,” was created, I only wondered what kind of silly things would go on in there. Dani and Aleks have been there for me through some of the hardest moments of my life, and they’ve also created some of the best moments too. They have kept me sane and grounded, and I am honored to call them my best friends. They made my experience here at Stevens truly one to remember. If you’re a freshman reading this, wondering if you’ll make a connection, trust me, you will. Maybe it will take time, and there might be some lonely moments, but you will find your pookies too.
