Random Blog

It was a beautiful, yet hot and humid day. Watching the mountains as I sang Hindu songs at the top of my lungs, several things were going through my head as we drove to the place that has become my second home. When I first arrived at James Madison University on August 19, 2009 with my older sister, younger brother, and my lovely mother, I was, simply, lost. Looking at the various license plates on the many cars that were lined in the parking lot in front of my hall, Shorts, I felt excited that there were people here from so many different places. But at the same time, I remember I had already begun feeling nostalgic. And even nervous. Okay, I was REALLY nervous.

Coming here, I didn’t know anyone besides one girl from my high school in Northern Virginia, who is currently a junior. The fact that I was going into a completely different place (I had never been to Harrisonburg prior to starting to school here) was arduous for me. Don’t get me wrong—I love meeting new people. Being a journalist all four years of my high school taught me to become a people person. Yet, there is always that initial feeling of just being apprehensive.
Now, only a month later, I, for a lack of better word, love it here. It’s amazing because I’ve NEVER met anyone who says they don’t like JMU.

There is a certain optimistic vibe here that I’ve definitely caught onto. The highlight of my time here has been joining clubs. Student organization was overwhelming because it had so much to offer, yet so exciting. I signed up for anything that caught my eye, and if someone called me over to get me to join their organization, I just could not refuse. So I ended up signing for the Astronomy Club, Student Ambassadors, the political science society, International Student Association, Muslim Student Association, the Bhangra Team, the Sign Language Club, and many others.

Of course, since time is the devourer of all things, I have decided to cut my list short, and commit myself only to about four clubs. And I’d say it’s a good mix of educational and social experiences. For fun, I’m in the Bhangra (type of Hindu dancing) Team and the International Student Association. The Muslim Student Association will really give me a chance to educate myself and the Harrisonburg community about one of the most widely misunderstood religions of the world, Islam. Being the Multicultural Representative will allow me to get to know people in my hall much better.

Most importantly, it’s the thought of being independent that doesn’t cease to motivate me. I love the idea of waking up on my own, doing my own laundry and grocery shopping, and being responsible for every decision I chose to make. It’s so enlightening. Yet, this thought itself is a continual reminder for me to make the right decisions and really utilize time. Quite honestly, I have not mastered time management yet, but I am working on really becoming satisfied with how each day goes.

I really do hope that by the end of my four years here at James Madison University, I can look back at it with pride and know that I’ve grown academically, socially and culturally.