“Don’t worry,” Peggah said with a smile. “You’ll be back, I know it.”
“You’re that sure, huh?” I said.
It was May 13th, 2007 — the last day of what had ultimately proved to be an incredibly arduous first year at Sarah Lawrence, and I was waiting to hear back from every transfer school I had applied to.
“Trust me,” she said. “I just have a feeling.”
I looked over her shoulder to the bench next to Gilbert, where five girls were sitting — girls who had become, in extraordinarly short order, my nearest and dearest, and whom I couldn’t really fathom leaving. It was bad enough that Marty was already bound for Smith in the fall, and Amy wasn’t sure if she should head off to George Washington University, or stick it out another three years. None of us had found exactly what were looking for at first. What we had found was each other.
So I stayed.
· · ·
I think it’s fairly safe to say my first year was not typical. There was an unfortunate combination of extenuating circumstances and lots of bad luck to take into account, for one thing. There are attributes that I do think are ever-so-common in newly arrived SLC’ers not quite sure how to make a go of it yet. These include feeling isolated, frustrated, or just plain lost. Making the decision to stay at Sarah Lawrence was perhaps one of the wisest things I have ever done, and I am consistently grateful that I did so. This experience (and it is an experience) is not always easy, and it is not always expected. But it does pay you back, in all the best ways. Yet, as with many things that are truly worthwhile, you have to work at it. You have to be able to ask questions and to reach out; to push and prod; to know when to fight and when to concede, and how to do both intelligently. Luckily, Sarah Lawrence will teach you how. Most importantly, you have to realize (and you will, never fear) that there is an entire network of wonderful individuals around you, ready and willing to help you along the way. For me, my don was absolutely integral in my decision to stay. She is as wonderful a professor as she is a mentor and a constant ally. When the administration tells you that at Sarah Lawrence you aren’t just a number, it’s the truth. So I encourage you to talk to the people around you — the ones you’ll meet in your dorms, walking to Bates, and registering for classes. I met my best friends that way.
Take advantage of the different opportunities available to you. Go into the Office of Career Counseling and ask about internships. Meet the staff of Student Affairs. Write for our publications. Attend theater productions and music recitals. Explore New York City. Remember that Sarah Lawrence is an astonishing and unique place, as much for the academic and creative freedom it grants you as for the people who inhabit it, and that it goes by much too quickly.
Welcome! I’m so excited for you all to begin!