It is officially the two-year anniversary since I first joined The Acorn and wrote my first article ever, “Proof That Life is A Movie.” After being a transfer student for over two and a half years here at Drew, I have so much evidence to emphasize how life can still be a movie.
There is a persistent rumor about how no one reads The Acorn. This is a big lie! There are many people who read The Acorn, both on and off campus.
When I wrote my first article, “Proof That Life Is A Movie,” I made lots of new friends at Drew,
some even asking about my previous series, “Confessions of A Quiet Girl,” and more advice and tips on how to romanticize life.
This was an enlightening experience, given that even though I came to this school as a 21-year-old transfer, it felt like I was still a scared 18-year-old first-year emotionally.
I’ll personally never forget how hard my first week was at Drew, being as homesick as I was.
It’s still a frightening choice to make to be in college, away from parents for the first time,
especially for those who are tremendously close to them.
That’s when I learned that age doesn’t matter sometimes when it comes to putting yourself out there into the world. I was a girl who had looked at life like a square box socially,
always staying away from too much screentime, never going out at night, essentially doing
whatever to fit in.
It will never really matter to fit in or stay inside a square; it’s a closed-minded experience that’s only going to make someone miss out on taking chances more.
That article taught me one thing: whatever it takes, do not stay comfortable. Trying new things
can make someone get out of their comfort zone.
And essentially, that became my experience; doing even some of the craziest things, such
as joining theater where I ran into a door to be comedic, watching a friend’s improv show just to
throw a toy on stage for them to change their entire scene, danced on a table in the Commons, played with swords just to waste time, enjoyed “night life” with the pub on campus—the list
goes on.
It’s possible that someone out there on campus will be like me; going through life like a
coming-of-age film, then transitioning to a thriller movie, and finally returning to a
coming-of-age film once again. The reality is, I am and always will be the “final girl” who makes
mistakes but is willing to bounce back and adapt. That’s the point of being human.
Getting out of your comfort zone is important in college, but it is also important to take care of yourself and follow your instincts.
I learned that learning about oneself also means staying true to having proper well-being.
Life is still a movie because college is the place where students need to find themselves, while
also never pushing themselves to burn out. It’s not necessary to commit to every single club on
campus just for a resume because at the end of the day, it’s more important to experience the rest of the world—especially when, before anyone knows it, that full-time job is going to come, and then the real freedom of college will be gone.
Life is still a movie, the good and the bad. Enjoy little pleasures; a milkshake, wearing
mismatched shoes on purpose or walking backwards across campus for no reason at all. Take
small risks, like sitting with someone new from class or complimenting a stranger. Sometimes
it’s okay to be a little unpredictable, like being as absurd as possible. College is short, and
embracing individuality, making mistakes and taking chances is what makes it memorable.
Dalila Benmakhlouf is a senior majoring in English Literature and minoring in Creative Writing.
