Tonight was the final step in the ILC experience before we leave for the East Coast. The meeting was not much more than a repetition of of all the things we had heard earlier, but I got the feeling that it was more for the parents than the children, to reassure them that we will be in capable hands, and so they can know at least some of what we are doing from day to day. From what I can tell, reassuring the parents is crucial. Don and Mr. Ramsey have multiple amusing stories of parents who could not let go and showed up "for vacation" at the exact same restaurants as their child. I noticed that during the meeting Mr. Ramsey was smiling nonstop, and it was obvious just how proud and excited he was. Seeing this really inspired me to be positive throughout the orientation and not see it as a chore to be there, but instead to view it as the privilege that it is.
We broke in to our cohorts for the later half of the meeting to discuss our schedules for the trip. The Yale schedule was pretty simple, visit a few colleges, then class, then more class, then more class, then we fly home and in two days start school. This may seem like a negative comment, but I am truly excited to be a part of the ILC again and to be taking this particular class. It will be hard work, but work that I want to do. It is often said that when you enjoy something it becomes more fun and less of a chore. I am absolutely sure that this will be the case.
As I was driving back from the meeting I got a sense of déjà vu as memories of the return journey from the same meeting last year came flooding back. I was struck by how different things are now, and how so much of it has to do with my trip to Cornell with the ILC last summer. There are the basic differences of course. I am sixteen now, I have my driver's license, I am a junior (almost a senior!!!), etc etc etc. More important however are the changes in my personality. I met people from countries all over the world, and learned about what life was like where they were from. I experienced what it was like to live alone, and have to take care of myself. I learned how fun and enlightening college can be, but also how easy it is to fall behind if you do not keep up with your responsibilities. All these experiences changed me and I came back a more mature and worldly person. I am grateful and excited to be able to go through it again this year and hope to see the same changes in myself and my fellow ILCers.
It is almost summer, but we still have almost two months before we leave. That is good though, because we have a lot of reading to do before we depart, and it will be time to go before sooner than I expect. Until then though, I will be busy preparing myself for the experience of a lifetime.
Good luck to everyone in the Ivy League Connection! Work hard, have fun, and do not forget to blog.
It is almost summer, but we still have almost two months before we leave. That is good though, because we have a lot of reading to do before we depart, and it will be time to go before sooner than I expect. Until then though, I will be busy preparing myself for the experience of a lifetime.
Good luck to everyone in the Ivy League Connection! Work hard, have fun, and do not forget to blog.
Thanks, Eric, for pointing out that this tutorial is as much--if not more--for the parents than it is for the ILCers who have had much of this drummed into their collective heads for the past 4-6 months. Even though most of you have kept your parents in the loop, some have kept them in the dark and have told them virtually nothing about the events they would be required to attend, what was expected of the ILCers and even, with some of them, where they were going. Kind of scary, isn’t it?
ReplyDeleteAnd while we may be stressing punctuality every time you turn around, we even have some parents who don’t understand the importance of it. We had one father/daughter group last year that showed up for the dinner 25 minutes late and it was all the fault of the father. Even when he sowed up his response was: “What’s the big deal?” How do you deal with a parent whose lackadaisical attitude might cost his child a scholarship?