does varsity really change people

Can moving out of your home and into res at school really change you?

The transition from high school to university is not an easy one. Many first year students are afraid of what the future might have in store for them and well, for many, it is a time of great fun, new experiences and for many it is merely the time to be away from home. It is during this time that many parents worry about how their little ones are going to adapt to their “homes” but one thing that many parents worry about is whether their children will choose the right friends and what kind of influence those friends will have on their kids.
Marcia Nthabiseng Modiba, a first year Bcom Accounting student at Rhodes University found that she has not changed much as a person since she came to university. “Some things have changed but some have not” she says. Even though when one arrives at university, one is not very sure of him or herself so one always tends to “step back and try to accommodate the other new students” she adds. Being in first year, especially the first couple of days, many students tend to be unsure of themselves so many students tend to not be themselves as they are afraid that they will be judged or even looked down upon. “It is almost like your first day in high school all over again. You feel like everyone is watching you and just waiting so you to do something stupid so that you can be seen as the ‘idiot’ until end of high school” says Marcia with a laugh.
Her bubbly personality shows as she gets more interested and involved in the topic. She talks with so much passion and is so passionate about being at Rhodes University in 2009. “The one thing that I can honestly say has changed about me is the fact that I go out a lot!” she says, widening her eyes as if to show how shocked and surprised she is with herself. “I was totally against clubbing and drinking but now it has become such a norm because it is done every weekend here” she admits laughing. Marcia admitted that the only reason she has changed in terms of going out clubbing is because when she was in high school, she had to behave a certain way but now that her parents are not here and she is in charge of her own life, she takes advantage of that and does what we would have not done had she been in high school.
She kept looking at her diary and taking deep breathes, one could see that she was really stressing over the upcoming examinations but that did not stop her from the fact that she love that she has not changed much since coming to university. “I love the person I was when I was back home so why would I want to change that? I believe that it is better to be yourself and get judged than to be judged for being something that you are not” she confidently says.
Marcia knows that it is very important to choose your friends wisely especially when you are at a new place and you don’t know many people there. “People come from different backgrounds and you have to be careful that you do not what their motives and intentions are so it is always wise to choose good friends that way you are guaranteed that you won’t have to change yourself just to fit in” she says.
Marcia’s positive attitude to her school work and also to the way she views others has helped her a lot in ensuring that she does not change who she is and that she remains focused on what she is here to do. “ moving from high school to varsity is drastic so you have to hang in there, don’t lose yourself, always remind yourself about how you were raised and do not forget who you are and what your purpose for coming to university is” she says in closing.