Tracy enjoys an Otter Pop outside her apartment

For me, moving back to school changes each year. There’s always the same goodbye dinner at home, the same bittersweet farewells to friends, the same drive up Highway 99 to Newberg. However, coming onto campus always feels different each September. I’m in an apartment instead of a dorm this year, and I feel much, much older. Okay, I feel a little bit older. I mean, my roommates and I did watch “Horton Hears a Who” together last night, but I am cooking a couple meals for myself, so that’s different.

It usually takes me a few weeks to adjust to being back in school. I forget that I have homework to do or classes to go to, and I just want to sit in the sun and eat Otter Pops all afternoon. I have found, however, that if you manage your time really well and work hard at getting your homework done early, a red cherry Otter Pop on the bench out front will taste even better.

I love coming back and meeting new people, as well as seeing old friends. My four roommates and I are already planning a trip to the coast this weekend, and I can’t wait for our first trip of the year into Portland. Voodoo Doughnuts here we come!

I have discovered one thing that never changes – your college experience is always going to be what you make it. I came to George Fox University hoping to push myself, to learn, to grow, and to make lifelong friends and lifelong memories. So far, I’ve done that every single year. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in the next nine months!

What are you going to do with your college experience?