“Everything we have you do is for a reason.” I have heard
these words a multitude of times since I became a member of the Ivy League
Connection. I never really understood the substance of that sentence until
today. I have only been traveling for one day and already the Ivy League
Connection has had a substantial impact on my life.
Today, the Ivy League Connection allowed me to face one of
my biggest fears: traveling on an airplane. I have never flown on an airplane
before, and I have always harbored negative thoughts about them. However, the
actual experience was not as bad as I imagined it. In fact, it felt as though I
were riding in a car. Sure, my heart began to race when the plane increased
it’s speed and I felt it lift from the ground, and yes, my stomach did drop
when the plane stooped down to land, but besides that, I was fine.
As a matter of fact, I felt absolutely nothing when I rode
the plane from Chicago to Raleigh. On that flight, I was able to open up a book
and read peacefully without any anxiety at all. I am sure that after this trip
is over, riding on a plane will no longer be a big deal to me. The Ivy League
Connection has allowed me to overcome a childish fear and grow up.
The Ivy League Connection has also opened my eyes to schools
outside of California. Before I came on this trip, I never considered going to
school outside of California for college. However, today the four students who
gave us a tour of Duke University really made me rethink things.
They spoke very fondly of Duke. They talked about how the
student body is very small, even though the campus itself is rather large. They
each agreed that almost everyone knows one another at Duke, and that the
students participate in many activities that involve a lot of social interaction,
so you are always meeting new people.
Beside the jovial atmosphere of the student body, the
architecture of Duke is also reason to attend college here. I have never seen
so many brick buildings in one place before (North Carolina has many brick
buildings because it does not experience earthquakes). The architecture is
truly remarkable, and it gives off a Harry Potter-like feeling. The crimson,
orange, and golden brown of the buildings was complimented by the lush, green
landscape. The entire campus is just very beautiful and very relaxing.
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| Vanderbilt Cohort underneath one of the many amazing buildings of Duke University. |
All in all, it was a very informative (and exhausting) day.
I overcame a childish fear, saw a new state, and fell in love with a new
school. It is only the first day
and I am already beginning to change. I wonder what the next 26 days has in
store for me. Well, only time will tell.
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| These are just one of the very interesting structures found all around campus. Many students like to sit down and chat here as they swing on the benches. |
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| Vanderbilt cohort at Duke University |
Narges,
ReplyDeleteBoy do you know how to suck up. You start your very first blog of this trip quoting me as if you’ve been paying attention to my every word from Day One. Well, it worked.
And I love the photos, too. You all look like you’re having a great time.
I don’t want to worry you but I used to study physics when I was at Cal and I can go into great detail explaining to you that those planes that you’re so fond of should all fall out of the sky. Their wings are all small, the weight of the planes is large and they’re overfilled with too much luggage. Yep, they all should drop like rocks.