The Final Good-Bye

I can't believe it's finally time for the final blog. I won't necessarily miss it, but it does mark the end of this trip. It's a bittersweet feeling.

I did not do much today - for once, there were no quizzes to study for, no office hours to go to, no phone calls home to make; it was my first real day of summer vacation. I did volunteer from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Richmond hospital; it was good to get back to my regular routine. Tonight I am starting a new book series, and tomorrow I am running with my dad in the morning. I almost feel like I am in a dream - that I really never left Cornell, and tomorrow class starts at 8:30 with an hour-long lecture with Reneta, followed by some computer work with Mark. I can't say that I will miss the class itself; business did not turn out to be my forte, and I struggled to try to think of customers in terms of money instead of people (I will stick with osteopathic school).

I will miss the traveling. Whenever I had free time, I tried to explore the campus by either walking or running on a new route. I went into random buildings, read the flyers and the posted student projects, and tried to see what student life was really like at Cornell. My biggest regret was that I never fully explored the town of Ithaca; but maybe I will get another chance next year. I liked the warm summer weather, but winter might be tough for me. I also did not like living in the dorms too much because it was hard to share a bathroom with 20 or more girls who had varying ideas of what cleanliness was.

My favorite part was probably meeting new people. Even in my own class of 80 students, I could always learn a new name when I had a question, or when I sat with someone new during lunch. Everyone had their own story, and I wish I could have heard every one of them. One of the perks of going to a big school like Cornell is being exposed to a little bit of everything; I believe that is one of the purposes of the Ivy League Connection. As students, we represent our school and district; and as a program, they give us the opportunity to see schools beyond the limits of our backyard. I've seen experienced first-hand what it could be like to take classes at a big university. Sometimes it was hard because there were so many students and only two teachers; but it would be easier if it was a class I was passionate about. I feel like I have so much more to consider when I apply to colleges this fall. I will still apply to a couple of California schools, like Cal Poly San Louis Obispo. Now though, applying some East Coast schools does not seem so far-fetched; the Ivy League Schools feel especially possible now that I've met students who actually attend. I was able to talk with them intelligently, and that was the best way to make being accepted by these schools feel possible. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity the ILC gave me. The actual trip only lasted for four weeks, but the memories, and the friends, may last a life time. Next stop, college applications!