Andy De la Garza 
12/3/2021

	I came to Notre Dame excited to learn and ready to further myself academically. While I also knew of the University’s reputation as a “football school,” I never imagined all of the experiences, both physical and emotional, that I would be exposed to in my first semester in college. And while many of the experiences have been great, the transition was not always easy. From dealing with the transition from life in San Antonio to meeting new people, I have encountered many struggles throughout my time at Notre Dame. These experiences have taught me the necessity of taking time for myself as well as the importance of acknowledging my shared struggles with other students. 
	At many times throughout my first semester at the University of Notre Dame, I found myself becoming anxious. I felt as if I should not be sitting in my room, that time spent alone was time that could be spent meeting friends. I often felt unproductive, unsocial when I ended up in these situations, when the reality was that I was tired from a day of classes and needed time to regroup and collect myself. Looking back at my early days of the semester, I feel that hearing Emily Bergmann’s experiences would have greatly benefitted me: “Transitions are always hard — regardless of your age. But the social expectations around college put overwhelming pressure on students to fit in seamlessly into their campus, without truly acknowledging the difficulty of uprooting your life and starting fresh” (“Advice from a Former Lonely College Student” by Emily Bergmann - Moreau FYE Week Nine). It is easy to put pressure on oneself to act a certain way, but sometimes, it is important to step back from a situation and return to it at a later time. I am now happy that I took time to rest in my room when I needed it, because it meant that I was fresh and ready to interact with others when I felt ready. 
	When moving from home to the University of Notre Dame, I was both excited and nervous for the journey ahead of me. And while I feel that I have ended up at the right institution to further my development, there have been many struggles that have come with the move. At many times, I have felt broken, whether through regrets or homesickness. However, the struggles that I have encountered have given me the opportunity to react, to build myself back up. This pattern of behavior is similar to the form of art known as Kintsugi: “Kintsugi actually repairs broken pottery with gold, believing that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken” (“Women Find Healing Through Kintsugi Workshop” by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Ten). My experience at the University of Notre Dame mirrors that of this form of artwork. When I have found myself in difficult situations, I have regrouped and come back stronger. I credit my ability to bounce back to the availability of my family to discuss my stress, as well my opportunity to take personal time, whether through resting in my room or running in Duncan Student Center, to collect myself. 
	On a college campus, students come from a variety of backgrounds. Whether socially, economically, or culturally, we come together with different perspectives. Being at the University of Notre Dame has emphasized this fact. However, I have also realized that it is easy to become acquainted with people from a similar background to yourself and miss out on the opportunity to meet new kinds of people: “The most common connotation of the word ‘community’ in our culture is ‘intimacy,’ but this is a trap” (“Thirteen Ways of Looking At Community” by Parker J. Palmer - Moreau FYE Week Eleven). This quote from Palmer’s article emphasizes our tendency to look at our community as those who we are close to. In reality, our community is made up of much more than those that we know. I have become increasingly aware of this fact, trying to make more of an effort to surround myself with new people. Regardless of our former backgrounds, we can all relate through our experiences as students at Notre Dame. We share struggles of adapting to a new environment as well as the positive memories created on the campus, so we are not as different as it may seem. 
While academics are a very important part of the college experience, I would not be making the most of my experience at the University of Notre Dame without attempting to understand new perspectives. As previously mentioned, I have had moments of difficulty in my transition to college life, but I am not the only one who has experienced these hardships: “One does not have to be a Christian to believe that adversity does, or at least can, make people stronger and prepare them for harder challenges in the future…” (“Hope - Holy Cross and Christian Education” by Fr. James B. King - Moreau FYE Week Twelve). Regardless of our backgrounds, other students have likely experienced the same feelings as me. Knowing this makes it easier to connect with others, as I know we will be able to relate through our experiences in our first semester if we have nothing else in common. 
While I have only been a student at the University of Notre Dame for a brief period of time, I have learned great amounts about myself and the community I have become a part of. Through the challenging aspects of college life that I have encountered, I have learned to adapt and found ways of dealing with stress that work for me. Additionally, I have learned to relate to other students through the struggles that come with adapting to college life, as they are feelings that many of us have had throughout our time on campus. I hope to continue to learn about my peers and the greater Notre Dame community in the upcoming semester and years that I will spend at the University.