The only problem left, really, was how to deal with my family and friends at home. I was pretty sure they didn’t know what to think of the person that I had become. I had to try to explain to my parents that everybody changes when they go to college or even just when they grow older. After I moved out of the dorms, I started to wean myself from going home so often. I still made sure to call my mom often to tell her about all the fun I was having with my apartment mates so she would know I was happy to be at school. My conversations with my mom changed: instead of “Well, I should be home around 4:00 or 4:30,” it was more like, “Hey, I think I did pretty well on my calc test! Tonight Angie and Stacy and I are probably going to go to the Ming for dinner and then we’re thinking about going to a party with a bunch of the guys. What are you up to?” I also made sure to tell her about my schoolwork and my new job often, so she would know that I was still working harder than ever. I knew that my mom would worry if I told her only about the fun times I was having, since of course the entire purpose of going to college (at least in her eyes) was education. And of course I still did go home once in a while. While at home, I would do some of my schoolwork, hang out with my family and friends, and talk about the things I was doing at school. I think that just by telling my family about my life at school, they felt more involved and became more accepting. This was a great compromise; the situation pleased everybody, for the most part. I think that my friends and family gradually realized that I was adjusting to a new life but that I still held my ideals of working hard and valuing relationships. When they realized that I was happy and that I wasn’t really a different person at all, my parents accepted my new life. Everything turned out great.

I think college is a time in which everybody needs to adjust. The right people and the right attitude can make a world of difference. After all, I went from thinking of transferring all the way to not wanting to graduate because I love it here! Now I think, “Why would I want to leave Tech? I’m from here. This is my own turf.” I am comfortable here on campus, as I should be. I grew up around here! I know all about the local area. I already know what it is like to have only the measly Copper Country Mall to shop at… I used to drive for an hour to shop there when I was in high school! I know to not be surprised by the unpredictable weather. I know to leave enough time to brush a foot of snow and scrape a half-inch-thick layer of ice off my car in the morning before I leave for class. I know about working hard in high school and holding down a part-time job at the same time, which probably prepared me well for the rigors of college. When people are narrow-minded enough to give me a hard time about being a yooper, I’ll say, “Well what about this stuff? You don’t know anything about this!” I have experiences that they don’t have, and I’m proud of it.