JOSH
Major: Philosophy
Hometown: Pagosa Springs, CO
Year: Senior
I remember the dread that hung over me as I moved my stuff into the dorm my freshman year. I had no desire to live on campus with a bunch of people I didn’t know. I was nervous about how the year would go and truly wished that I didn’t have to experience the dorms at all. However, this quickly changed as I got settled into my dorm. In the first few weeks of school, I met the people living in my dorm and the surrounding dorms, eventually meeting people from all across campus. I didn’t realize how much networking I would do by simply living on campus. Most of the people I hang out with now, during my senior year, are friends that I met from my freshman year. These relationships have become highly valuable to me throughout my college career, but the most valuable relationship that I have had here at The Fort is the relationship that I have with my dorm mate.
Growing up together in Pagosa Springs, my dorm mate and I had known each other for quite a few years, but hadn’t been as close of friends as we became that year. As both of us had been writing hip-hop lyrics for a year or two, we instantly kicked off the good habit of freestyling and writing lyrics together. We would both push each other to finish our homework so that we could spend more time making music. This relationship was the most beneficial aspect of living in the dorms by far. It not only allowed me to comfortably be creative but also pushed me to be productive and to stay on top of my school work. Being able to rap with my dorm mate on a daily basis made both of us progress in our talents tremendously. People would periodically stop by our dorm after hearing us rap together and let us know how we sounded and how much they thought we had improved from the first week of school.
My dorm mate and I still live together now, three years after our freshman year, and continue to make music together. I feel so grateful for having the opportunity to live with someone that pushes me to be creative in my free time. Both of us frequently bring up memories of our freshman year, whether it is how much we rapped, the funny/good times we had, or the ridiculous things we experienced that we can’t help but laugh at now. These memories will forever be cherished as a growing experience I hold dear to my heart.
Leaving the dorms, I had a completely different perspective of the dorm life. Looking at the blank walls and empty closet that we had packed full of our stuff was a lot harder than I would have ever imagined. The memories I made and the people I met ran through my head as I closed the door of my dorm and turned in my keys. I started my first summer of college thinking to myself that I was so glad to have lived in the dorms and experience what the on campus life had to offer. It not only provided me with the right environment to grow in the ways I wanted but also helped me build the network of friends that I still have today.