A Freshman at Brown University

Finally, I’m at the Ivy League university everyone dreams of but I see no ivy. The darkness must have consumed it, but surely it will appear tomorrow with the first bell. I do hear happy shouts of the newly arrived freshmen going up an down the halls of the dorms looking for friends for the next four years, or even for the rest of their lives. Lying in bed I sense the presence of my roommate just little farther than an arm’s reach away, trying as hard as I am to pretend to sleep. Holding our breaths, we try to avoid the awkwardness of two strangers from opposite ends of the world in a dark room. Suddenly, first I and then she lets a giggle escape, and finally we burst out laughing.

College in America, the social and intellectual center of every American’s life, has begun for me. My half-Chinese-half-Jewish roommate from Texas and I stay up all night hanging out of our window, and ignoring accents to hear each other’s stories.

I am sitting in a humongous gym next to people whose names I’ll never remember. We’re listening to the President of Brown University; she’s telling me that I am one of the best and the brightest “young things” in America and the world, for that matter. “What do they tell them at Harvard then?”, I wonder “that they are the best in the universe?” We eventually emerge from the gym, overwhelmed, into a beautiful courtyard full of green grass, excited young people, and surrounded by old brick buildings. I am now a true Brunonian.

Orientation, a three day period of getting to know the university, begins with various activities and endless speeches about safety and academic integrity.

I skip a lecture on school rules and have coffee with three of my neighbors. Kim, a high school valedictorian loves coffee, rides horses and dresses in an exotic bohemian fashion. Jess is my roommate – we’re already comfortable enough to make fun of each other. She’s a passionate journalist, varsity swimmer and an amazing observer of human psychology. Rachel, who has written a 400 page novel, is mostly quiet but willing to help me with anything from how to order coffee in Starbucks to figuring out how I can plug in my European electric appliances.

Classes. A day full of classes. The way it works here is that every student chooses his or her own classes. In order to see whether you like a class, during the first week you can go to as many as you want, and then keep the four or five that you like. I go to “Beautiful Theories of Physics,” “Conflict and Cooperation in International Politics,” “The Brothers Karamazov and the Art of the Novel,” “Introduction to Economics,” and “Acting I.” They are all great and this is just the first day. Economics is a huge lecture class of about 200 people and the professor is blind. He is an amazing speaker, however and a celebrity among the professors. The physics class is a small class of only boys. The politics class is also a big lecture taught by a very frail, dark, eloquent man of about 27, who promises that by the end of the semester we will be able to competently govern a small country. The literature class is taught by a beautiful Russian professor from St. Petersburg who has lived in the USA for 15 years. We will read The Brothers Karamazov at least five times this semester, she tells us. The acting class is inspiring, but very, very hard if you are not a born actor. I think watching plays will suffice for now.

I am lying on the grass between classes basking in the sun. A group of upper-classmen are playing Frisbee close-by; further down on the main green the karate team are practicing their fighting moves, all dressed in white standing in a circle. I recognize a few faces who smile and say “Hi.” I try to imagine the grass and the brick buildings covered by snow in the winter. An image from the guidebook of students playing in the snow next to the statue of the Brown Bear comes to mind.

It’s going to be a good year.

Source: www.coolenglish.co.uk

Size: 3,955 characters with spaces

Notes

Joy league university – all the top universities; often considered America’s top universities in the USA belong to the “ivy league”.

Harvard – one of the ivy league universities; often considered America’s top university.

Humongous adj inform – very big.

Brunonian n – a student of Brown University.

Academic integrity – being a good student.