Living on Campus
In 2005 I left my country (Guinea- Bissau, West Africa) and all that was familiar to me. Eighteen years of age and journeying through several countries to reach Augusta, which would soon be my new home left me with several thoughts. I was excited, happy, nervous, and hungry all at the same time…hungry for every opportunity that placed itself before me. Believe it or not, I had a major interest in the life of the students that lived on campus so i spent time to research student life as a resident on campus. My research only made me even more antsy to make it to school.
On the 26th of August, 2005, as I finished registering for my classes and immediately left to find this famous “University Village. (Augusta State University campus housing).” On the way to University Village several questions ran through my head. ” Would I like the place?”"Would other students accept an international student?” and “Whether the students were as serious as i am about school or were they here for horse play?” Finally I reached, the atmosphere was cool, students were mingling, some by the pool, and others in the club house but all i kept thinking about was meeting my roommates. As I looked around the UV It wasn’t long until I realized that I was in a place where differences mattered immensely. It was not quite what i pictured. I was finally sent to my room in the 5000 building where I met two of my roommates that seemed extremely nice. Surprisingly, one of them was also an international student from Africa.
It didn’t take me much time to settle in and I immediately put my feet to work and begun discovering what the University Village had to offer. Students were playing table tennis, football, and a few brave ones were swimming. I couldn’t wait to get to the computer to email my family about my day. I was glad to be independent but at the same time I missed home. However, things started changing and the days got longer. Living in the 5000 building was no longer everything it once seemed to be. The days started to get depressing. My neighbors constantly partied, made loud noises, and had no respect for other students. Cigarette butts were everywhere, and sometimes students would have an escalated misunderstanding. I couldn’t live here any longer! I had school work to do and it was extremely hard to concentrate! One of my roommates worked late and usually came home around 3:00 in the morning. He found it appropriate to bring a gang of friends to our apartment who banged on the walls and would played games and blast loud music. As a result, i stayed at school until much later so that i could get my school work done. After a year, I moved to the 2000 building with a friend of mine who I met at the bus stop. As an international student, we seemed to have shared a lot of similarities. We thought likewise, ate almost the same things, and most importantly we understood each other .
Since 2007 i have lived in the 2000 building and I am loving it. Things seem to be much better and I strongly believe I am now living as I pictured it in 2005. I’m enjoying life as an Independent student. Trough it all, I believe everyone had a niche, i just had to find mine.
