Starting a New Chapter
With the school year coming to an end, many students are looking forward to taking the next step in their lives and attending college. Although going to college could be very exciting, it can also be a little nerve wracking. Katelyn Dovin is one of those excited seniors to take the next step in her academic career. Katelyn lives in Richmondale, Pennsylvania with her mother, father and one sister, Jenna. Over the summer of her junior year heading into her senior year,Katelyn has traveled throughout the area looking for a college that best suits her. I sat down with Katelyn to ask her why she choose West Chester, and what she is most excited about in the upcoming months. I also discussed with her fears about moving away from home and having to live on her own.
The first question I had for Katelyn was why she chose West Chester, Katelyn explained  how she had traveled to several different colleges with various sizes, some being as large as 40,000 students and some with only 5,000 students. Katelyn said that she choose West Chester because it is a good size and is not to overwhelming with 17,000 students.
“When I walked on the campus, it just felt right. It felt like I belonged, and I was already part of the school. I knew I had to attend West Chester after the first five minutes of stepping on the campus,” Katelyn added.
Katelyn will be attending West Chester in the fall to purse a degree in Exercise Science  with a concentration in Occupational Therapy. Katelyn explained that she will first have to obtain  a bachelor's degree then a master's degree two years later in order to obtain a job in her field. I asked Katelyn if she would like to stay at West Chester to earn her master's degree or go to another college. She responded, “Since West Chester does not offer the program, I will need to attend another school to get my master's degree. They do have affiliations with other schools nearby, so it will be easy to get into another school.” I then asked Katelyn why she chose her major of exercise science. She said, “I love helping people especially children. I think that this field will allow me to help children with everyday tasks that can be difficult for them to accomplish by themselves.”
Many students fear leaving their home to go to an unknown place, where they do not know many people or their surroundings. It can be scary because it is truly the first time students will have to fend for themselves and survive on their own. Katelyn explained to me that this is one of her many fears as well. She has never had to go away from her parents for the amount of time that she will have to when she goes away to school. Her parents are always there whenever she needs them, and it will be more difficult being so far away from them. Even Though she will only be living two hours away, she does not have the luxury of coming home whenever she feels necessary. I asked Katelyn what she is most looking forward to when she goes away to college. She said, “I am looking forward to having more freedom and being able to stay out as late as I want. I cannot wait to attend concerts in the city and make new friends.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Another common concern for an incoming freshmen is roomates and dorms.  I asked Katelyn what the dorms were like at WCU. She explained how there are two different styles of dorms at West Chester. One being the classic dorm rooms with two beds and two small closet spaces and a bathroom at the end of the hallway. The other style being the affiliated dorms which have two beds and two walk in closets with its own bathroom in the room. I asked Katelyn which dorm style she would be staying in next year. She said, “I will be staying in the affiliated dorm rooms. I think it will be easier to adjust to college life in these dorms because they have more space and their own bathrooms. I then asked Katelyn if she has found a roommate yet. Katelyn replied, “No, I have not yet determined on who I will room with yet. I have been reaching out to people on Facebook, talking to them about possibly rooming together. It is a difficult process, but I'm sure I will find the right person to live with.”
Katelyn is excited to go to college and make new friends but will also miss the ones she is leaving behind. I asked Katelyn if it will be difficult leaving her friends that she has now. She replied with, “ Yes, of course I'm going to miss my friends. It will be hard to find people like them. I hope that some of my friends will come down and visit me!”
Overall, college is a new and unknown territory for Katelyn but she is excited to take the next step in her life and experience something new. She will have to leave behind her friends and family in order to grow as a person and meet new people. Although attending a new place far away from home could be scary for some, Katelyn cannot wait to move into West Chester in the fall and start her college career.