Moving Out of Lakewood and Into My New Digs at UW

My dad always said how nice it would be to live in a small town. He talked about the camaraderie between neighbors, the quaint, charming atmosphere and a place where people know your name and often times too much of your personal business.

We sacrificed some of those qualities and found a compromise. Living in Lakewood guaranteed the best of both worlds.

I’ve lived in Lakewood for more than eight years, and I’ve grown to love the quirks that make it home. , the residential community where my family lives, features Lakewood's small-town personality. The houses are unique. People are friendly. It’s a quiet, secluded area away from high traffic.

Once you venture outside Oakbrook, however, you begin to see another part of the city. Although traffic is not as bad as Seattle (thank goodness), it’s easy to see how Lakewood takes on a homey yet urban feel.

Going to college next year will signal a completely different world.

The University of Washington is a 180-degree turn. Living in a metropolitan city, the biggest in the state, has its pitfalls and dangers, something that my parents were especially concerned about. How am I going to keep from getting lost on the state's biggest campus, not to mention a city of more than 600,000?

There are two pieces of advice my parents have given me that apply not just to college, but to any circumstance (except perhaps going to prison or joining a cult – unless that’s your sort of thing).

The first is participate. Getting out and enjoying every (legal) thing you can. Trying new things is what will take you places and maybe identify a new interest you’d never considered before. Second, a school is only as big as you make it. UW is intimidating because of its sheer proximity and class sizes. When your high school classes have a mere 30 people, taking a calculus class with 400 others can seem daunting.

How are you supposed to meet people?

I’ve learned that you usually find lecture courses in the prerequisites. If you stick it out and are serious about making it through school, those classes, more targeted to your major, are less populated and more intimate.

College can be scary, especially when you're transitioning to a new environment. But the fun is often found being on your own, the exhilarating moments of freedom. Make mistakes, meet new people and embrace a new part of your life.