Hi, friends! You may not recognize my name. That’s because I am brand spanking new to the opinions section! Let me introduce myself. I’m Taylor Cavaliere, and I am so excited to be writing to you all as a columnist this semester! I’d also like to thank you from the bottom of my heart: If you’re reading, then my worst fear (that literally not one person will read my column) has not come to fruition.
Now let’s talk about something we all struggle with: coming back to school. Returning to UF for a second year, for me, is a lot like entering an alternate dimension. Everything looks pretty much exactly the same as it did four months ago, but nothing feels the same. Now, before I start quoting Drake, let me provide some context.
Buildings and campus landmarks that previously meant nothing to me now hold immense significance. While Library West was at first just a somewhat inconveniently located library, it is now a place where I’ve spent hundreds of hours, rekindled friendships and spent far too much money on Starbucks. And while Broward Hall was at first just a dorm building with a strange, unidentifiable odor (still accurate), it now also holds memories of late-night bonding with my roommate, stressing about exams and applications and enjoying surprisingly good nights of sleep.
You see, as a returner, you can walk past the buildings your classes were in last year and feel either nostalgia or war flashbacks. You can walk down streets and remember exactly where you were mentally when you last visited that location, good or bad. You feel empowered.
It’s empowering to know what’s going on and to have some semblance of how this place works. I’m not saying I have everything under control—because I absolutely do not, by any definition. I suppose what is different now is the acceptance. I accept that I don’t have everything under control. I accept that sometimes I have to let go of a need to have everything under control. While this is not always easy, it has helped me enjoy life and feel more fulfilled from day to day. Hopefully you feel the acceptance and empowerment, too.
This isn’t to say freshman year wasn’t a great year. I met incredible people and did incredible things. However, I was still a freshman. I grew frustrated when I wasn’t qualified enough for positions I sought desperately. I experienced a crisis about what I wanted to do with my life, and as a person who always thought I knew what I wanted, it was more than a little debilitating. Eventually, I figured it out (I think).
Of course, the second year comes with some cons, too. For example, you actually know where everything is on campus, so the “I got lost” excuse is unfortunately no longer viable when you’re late for things. Also, you’re no longer exciting. Being a freshman is a whirlwind time, and people love talking to freshmen and transferring their passions to them. In my case, I have already discovered my passions (I think), so many people give up when they realize their particular evangelization techniques are lost on me.
Is this actually a con? Hard to say. I do like human interaction, but I also like walking through Turlington and having no one attempt to speak to me.
Needless to say, the world looks a tiny bit different now. Whether you’re coming back for your second, third, fourth or even fifth (hopefully not sixth) year, feel the empowerment that comes with returning. You know more than you did this time last year, and you have a stronger sense of what’s important to you. Never take that for granted. Use these benefits of past experience and crush it this year. I know I’m thrilled to be back in my favorite place in the world for another great year full of memories to last a lifetime.
Taylor Cavaliere is a UF psychology and journalism sophomore. Her column appears on Mondays.
