Changing Identity

Before college, I had always been dependent on my parents, especially my mom, to feed me, clean up after me, and do my laundry. Since living at college, I have become more dependent on myself and learned to take care of myself better. I now do my own laundry, feed myself, and pick up after myself. When I went home for Thanksgiving break, my parents were definatley surprised at how I became more responsible and I could see how my identity has been changing. Because I was so used to living on my own, I took care of myself the whole week and my mom didn't have to do anything for me. Even though I have more responsibility, it feels better when I do things for myself than have my mom do them for me. Being at college is changing my identity and preparing me for the rest of my life.

Surprisingly Responsible

College has begun a new chapter in our lives. We have started to learn how to live on our own and cope with things alone, instead of leaning on parents or loved ones in times of need. We handle homework and getting fed without breaking a sweat now. Surprisingly, it is because it's all something we WANT to do. We love college and the freedom that comes with it. I know I do.



When I went home for Thanksgiving break, I noticed that these changes in my lifestyle did not go unnoticed by my parents. Since I have been providing for myself, completely without their help, I didn't change that attitude when I got back home. I think my mom was a little surprised (and relieved) that I didn't ask her to do my laundry immediately after walking through the door. I also had to take care of a few financial issues at home, and my dad was shocked to not find me begging for money. I worked during the break, had doctors appointments pre-planned to be sure I was up to date, and even called family members ahead of time to assure visiting times. I'm pretty confident in saying my parents were not just proud of their increasingly maturing daughter, but they were a little sad to see I didn't need them anymore. I know that is kind of dramatic, but I have been living on my own and I wanted to prove my successful independence.

Now that I'm back from home, I notice that it was nice to have my parents around again, but not as the "providers" this time. I saw them as the people who have taught me the basic principles on which to live by; the whole reason I'm so successful at living on my own at college. I can definitely see college as a profound, positive addition to my identity, but after going home, I realize that my parents have helped me the most in adapting to the vast change.

T BReak

when I went home for Thanksgiving break my parents told me that I looked in better shape. That was easy to notice since ive joined the corps. the number one thing they said was I seemed more quiet. All through high school I was very out spoken and quick to speak my mind. I feel like Im still like that today, but I think a little more before I speak. other than that they just said my overall presence seemed different. We never really could pin point what it was, but somthing has changed. I still feel like the same person on the inside, so i dont have much knowledge on how i might have changed, but my friends and family think i am a different person. Well i guess the most obvious change was my new hair cut.

nbier

cleaning house

When I went home for Thanksgiving break I did not see my family much or any of my friends. The difference that I noticed about myself was I was compelled to clean the kitchen as soon as I got home. Before I left for college though, I did clean the house when I was motivated (about once a week). Since I have been at college I clean my dorm room thoroughly at least once a week. I vacumn about every other day. Because at college I am able to clean more I think I do more. This is the one change I notice about myself.

Turkey Break

During Thanksgiving break my family and friends noticed how I had changed over the first semester of college. Even though I really didn't change that much, there were still several small changes of which I made. Before college, especially during high school, during the school week, I would rarely ever go to bed later than 12:30. Now with a roomate who never sleeps, I find myself adapting to a later bedtime, even if I have an 8:00 am class the next morning. Also with school, I began pledging. This pretty much takes over any free time I would have, and because of this I have no been able to go to the weight room in weeks. Back at home, I would go three times a week at least. Hopefully this will change by next semester. Finally my parents say I'm maturing more, not saying I was immature before, but now I am able to pretty much live on myself. Thanksgiving break was interesting and I'm sure Chirstmas Break will be the same.

Dear Ol Ma

Mom has had a hard time dealing with me being in college. We haven't ever really been that close. I mean we love each other and I respect her but we just aren't that close. I realized we had grown further apart than we were when I was living at home and going to high school. I don't depend on her for hardly anything anymore since I don't live at home. I have payed for my own car, insurance, cell phone, etc since I was in the tenth grade. Mom has a hard time realizing I don't need her to help me with as many things anymore. We just don't talk as much and don't see each other as much so I guess I should have expected this to happen.

Harsh and Grown Up

When I went back home to Williamsburg, it was good to see people that I wasn't use to seeing. I got to see people from my old school and everything. But while I was there, I noticed somethings. I noticed that I'm not as hyper as I use to be in High School. I noticed this because all of my old friends who were still in High School were extremely hyper (and they didn't seem this hyper when I went to school with them) and my friends who had gone off to college didn't seemed changed at all. I guess college makes you a bit more serious about things than you were in High School, and nothing else mattered except having fun. I also noticed that I have become a little bit harsher, more impatient with people than I use to be. I would become flustered when someone got upset about something that didn't seem all that important. I don't know if college has desensitized me temporarily and that it takes a lot to upset me, or if that's just who I became because of the demands of college. I know that my mother noticed it, and she was upset that I had changed. It was all very interesting to see the differences that I noticed when I went back home (such as changes in people, in myself, and the landscape of the town as they have been building things up). I wonder what new things I'll notice when I go back for Christmas

Topic 4: Changing Identities

When you went home for Thanksgiving, chances are you had some sort of encounter with family or friends that revealed how your identity may be shifting or changing since you came to college. (This can often prove traumatic for our loved ones, as they usually prefer us to stay the same, since they know how to deal with us that way.)

Please reflect on how your identity may be changing, or on an aspect of your identity that, while it's not a change, may be something about yourself that you never noticed so clearly before until you left your home for a while and then returned to it. Please post by midnight on Saturday, Dec. 1.

Northampton

Many of you may never of heard of it. It is a town in Pennsylvania. I went to high school there. So I am a member of the collective I assume. My identy to the rest of the area is that I am an unintelligent and disruptive person. I am far from that. I attend Virginia Tech now and I have never been more disruptive than the usual person. Being part of this collective the association between bad learning environment, over crowded hall ways, and lack of flip flops. These images were things we saw everyday in our high school. Trying to learn with these challenges did not promote aspirations. Sights were set low. It is not that I did not plan for a prosperous future, but the environment I spent eight hours a day in did not make one keep their hopes up. The school has now improved somewhat but the impact this has had on the students will always be apparent.