“The Anatomy of a College Freshman” by Lauren Mottel

Picture this: the sun starts to peek out from the horizon, casting a warm glow on the autumn leaves, and a golden light trickles in through the window as you open your eyes, stretch, and sigh, basking in the warmth. You have a feeling it’ll be a good day today. You hear birds chirping, and—well, actually, they don’t sound all that pleasant anymore, each tweet getting louder and more jarring until—

Your 7:30 alarm is going off, causing your roommates to stir. The warm glow you were basking in was just the lamp you left on from last night’s study grind, and it’s, in fact, incredibly dreary and bleak outside. You stumble out of bed and attempt to get dressed before your 8:00 AM lab, only to make it halfway across the Turf to realize you left your lab goggles before sprinting back and to your class, furiously skirting around slow walkers so as not to be late. 

We’ve all been there. 

In fact, this happened to me within the first couple of weeks of classes, and while I was working on the biology lab, it had occurred to me that despite taking plenty of science classes throughout high school, I never took anatomy. I completely missed out on the cliché high school biology experience. Therefore, I took it upon myself to study anatomy independently during this first semester—the anatomy of a college freshman, that is. 

The Brain

Here we see reduced serotonin levels prompted by a failed attempt at time management and severe lack of sleep (see: midterms). College is a big adjustment that should not be underestimated; it requires a lot of mental and physical energy in adapting to living in dorms and navigating your schedule to find a balance between academics and hanging out with friends, and that’s not even taking into account dealing with being away from family, even if you do live locally. It’s important to recognize when your neurons get especially fried and to take the time to distract your brain with other things, like listening to music or watching The Great British Bake Off. 

The Heart

Despite the bags under your eyes that are so heavy they’re considered checked luggage by TSA, there is a love of learning and ambition to excel that drive everything you do. Pursuing higher education is no small feat, and in remaining passionate enough in a field to make a career out of it, you’re beginning to take the first steps into the stages of adulthood. This is further upheld by the love and support of your family and friends as you embark on such an endeavor.

The Hands

The hands of a college freshman can be found either desperately hitting snooze on 7:00 AM alarms or timers for in-between class naps, feverishly texting the group chat about an online quiz, or mildly shaking from drinking one-too-many cold brew coffees, sustained by the Caffeinated Quartet of Dunkin’, Starbucks, Peet’s, and Caribou Coffee. Regardless, your hands are what allow you to create, network, and stress-bake your way through life.

The Stomach

Among the most common things that come up in conversation when talking about college is the dreaded Freshman Fifteen, and with constant access to UDairy at the dining halls with an unlimited meal plan, this is proving to be quite the problem. With Caesar Rodney, Russell, the Harrington Pod, and Perkins all within walking distance from Redding, eating habits can quickly take a turn, but with there sometimes being an awkward hour break between classes or ungodly long lecture periods, you have to make the most of the time you have so as to carry on throughout the day. Regardless, nothing can stop us from running to Russell late at night to satisfy a sudden ice cream craving, and we have no shame.  

The Legs

It’ll be a crime if your quads and calf muscles aren’t incredibly toned from walking up the four flights of ISE every day or booking it across the Green en route to Purnell, and pray to the gods if you ever have to trek up the stairs at Willard. The lactic acid that is constantly coursing through your muscles every day is enough to work off any calories consumed at CR. The legs of a college freshman go through so much in walking everywhere that by the time they actually get in bed, they’ll be numb from a long day’s work. 

The Feet

The feet of a college freshman heavily endorse taking the path less travelled by in this new stage of life. Whether it’s finding a shortcut in your daily route to class to cut back on walking time or simply trying something new, the best memories are made in the shoes with the most worn out soles, and the quicker that college freshmen implement that into their daily lives, the more memorable of a college experience they’ll have.