Attending Hobart and William Smith College in the fall semester of 2017 was a bitter-sweet experience. Some moments I felt astonished because of the freedom I had from my family and the choices that were mine and only mine to make. The option to do what I want when I want was surreal as if I was in a fantasy. Other moments during midterms and finals I felt overwhelmed and felt like I was running out of gas because of the academic pressure from all my classes at one time drove me insane. I felt trapped as if two walls were closing in on me and I had no escape to avoid the intensity of the walls. Moreover, besides the bitter-sweet feeling, one of the great adversity I went through and still will encounter is trying to find myself on Hobart and …show more content…
There was counselors, administrative members, and I had a couple of friends, but I did not trust them. I took a bold step by speaking to my first-year seminar advisor, and I will never regret this. My advisor is one of the most open-minded and caring people. He went up and beyond for me personally. We had meetings on a constant basis and he always made time available for us to talk. He suggested tips for encountering my internal conflict in the classroom and he also advised me about a resource I should have occupied earlier, office hours. Furthermore, he interrogated the classroom and implemented mandatory study groups were all students can feel accommodated, especially me. My grades improved a lot as a result and I had a better control of the material. For the dormitory issue, resident assistance organized floor meeting weekly to address issues and formed safe heaven to express ones feeling open without feeling attacked. Things generally improved from my meetings with my advisor, but I came to the understanding that as a black student on predominately white campus I will always face tragedies and that’s because of race difference between white and black people which is a larger scale problem in society and the world. I am proud to be black will speak my voice, whether one likes it or not. Spring semester of 2018 waits ahead and I know that the road will not be easy and a conflict is bound to come, but I feel better prepared for how to counter that