College is the beginning of a very new chapter in many individuals’ lives. If they are a student at ABAC, that new life begins Aug. 14.
From dining hall dinners to unruly roommates, attending college has become a different taste of adulthood for many eighteen-year-olds in America.
Even non-traditional students experience a new environment that changes their worldviews.
Move-in days are a cut-and-dry repeat for upperclassmen at this point in their careers. This may be the last fall semester they’ll be preparing for. What’s become a ritual every year will soon become a memory.
At ABAC, students from all different backgrounds roam the campus to learn and grow as people. Whether you’re a tired senior or an ecstatic freshman, starting back school is a rite of passage to cap off the summer months.
Excitement continues to fill the campus as memories prepare to be made from the classroom to Lake Baldwin’s shore.
Junior Jenna Williams said, “After devoting my summer to working as an Orientation Leader on the Stallion Society, giving guided tours of our beautiful campus for incoming freshmen and helping prepare them for their first year of college, an overwhelming sense of anticipation envelops me as the fall semester approaches!”
ABAC’s orientation leaders are leading the charge for newcomers to join the bustling community that thrives in Tifton, Georgia.
“Witnessing a multitude of students, each exhibiting a remarkable array of interests and academic pursuits, makes me excited to witness how they will shape and change ABAC,” Williams said.
However, the first day of school is more than just a momentous time for freshmen and transfer students.
Upperclassmen preparing for internships and seniors considering capstone projects are all over campus and in every department. There is a new kind of feeling in the air. It is the beginning of the end, but a beginning nonetheless.
Senior Kendall “Scout” Weesner is one of those students ready to take the fall semester by the horns.
“After every semester ends, I say that it was the best semester ever. I am ready for whatever comes my way for my last two best semesters ever at ABAC. I’m beyond thankful for the opportunities I have had and the people I have met these last four years,” said Weesner.
ABAC is always a place its students find themselves coming back to. Its lush campus strives to be a “home away from home” for all its inhabitants. You may even hear a classmate call your male professor “mom” more than once.
Your car can always stay in the commuter lot just a bit longer. You do not need to rush home after class when you make ABAC a home too.
As the summer fades away, the desire to hike up Conger Hall’s steps starts to settle in the back of your mind. The stairs don’t feel as steep when laughing with friends about a pop quiz.
The South Georgia heat is not as sweltering when walking with a new friend to your shared class. That water bottle your family insisted you would need will quickly come in handy.
You might not realize it now, but everything you do has an impact on your life and those around you.
College is a time for memories and change. It will be over before you know it, and the best thing to do is use your time to find your way.
Cherish your time at ABAC. Even if you are begrudgingly attending because of your parents or financial restraints, there is a reason you are here.
Attending college is about more than just grades and scholarships. It is easy to get caught up in the pressure of success, but balance is everything.
Attend the club event, join a classmate for coffee, speak up for yourself, speak up for others, know your worth, and most importantly, go with the flow. You can not predict and prepare for everything, but you can accept it for what it is.
Before thinking of turning your tassel, turn to your fellow stallions and get involved.
There are a lot of communities within ABAC; they are just waiting for you to find them. Welcome back to ABAC.
