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The Freshman Experience

The Freshman Experience
10/19/2011
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Julius Clayborn

You know those feelings you get when you are about to embark on a new and exciting journey and are completely overwhelmed by curiosity? Well, I harbored all of those same sentiments...at least until one unbearable train ride to college.

Let me give you a brief synopsis on my less-than-brief journey to Cornell. It consisted of an awfully long (more than 12 hours!) and uncomfortable train ride from Illinois to New York. Imagine going that long without Facebook or other social networking sites – the horror! My excitement, coupled with utter nervousness, would not let me sleep at first but I eventually drifted off into an awkward slumber, awaking in Syracuse. From there, I continued my journey to campus.

Once I reached Cornell's campus in Ithaca, there was an abundance of people to assist with luggage and to help new students get settled in their new homes. I found this very helpful, for the realness of the entire situation hit me once I put my things away and looked at my ID card: "I am a freshman in college. I am a freshman at Cornell. Wow." I was in shock for a while but the apprehensiveness soon passed. I had the opportunity to immerse myself into the orientation activities and leave all of my worries behind. There was everything from rock climbing to music concerts and I met some pretty cool people while doing it all! I got to explore the campus, hear urban legends and attend a riveting convocation ceremony that reminded me of why I chose Cornell the first place.

When I finally started classes, I was grateful to have been allowed the opportunity to be taught by brilliant professors who are masters in their fields. I knew that by the end of these four years, I would leave Cornell smarter. I would move beyond regurgitating information and would truly have an intellectual grasp on the world. Although future train rides will be bumpy ones, I know the reward at the end of the line is well worth it.

Julius Claybron was born on Chicago’s South Side in the Harold Ickes public housing projects. At the age of five, he lost his father to diabetes and was raised by his mother and grandmother, who helped him to enroll in Urban Prep Academy – a public all-male college-preparatory high school – during his sophomore year. Julius started to read when he was just two years old and still enjoys escaping in books during his spare time. He just began his freshman year at Cornell University this fall, where he plans to double major in psychology and English literature.

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