Prest 

Dave Lassen
Moreau
The Notre Dame Adventure!
	When I think of words to sum up my first semester at college, a few come right to the front of my mind: stressful, hectic, and incredible. Though I have encountered more challenges and difficulties than I imagined coming into my time here, there is nowhere I would rather be. New friends, time management challenges, and fantastic opportunities have defined my first semester at ND.
	When I first arrived, I thought I was going to make friends super easily because I have never been a shy person and have extensive experience meeting new people. Instead, I felt nervous and worried during my first few weeks on-campus. A similar phenomenon is discussed by Emery Bergmann in her video on being a lonely college student. Regarding her old hometown friends, she says, “They would post more and text me less.” I could sympathize with this because my friends from high school did not reach out when we went our separate ways, which was hurtful. When it came to making new ones, however, I was concerned that I would make bad impressions or seem too outgoing. I was able to overcome this challenge by getting out of my comfort zone and just striking up conversations with random people. What’s the worst that could happen… I’m at a university of over 12,000 people, after all! Additionally, remembering that everyone is just as nervous as I am helped me immensely. Since overcoming my fear, I have met unique people and made friends I would never have encountered otherwise. In Moreau, we discussed the prominence of imposter syndrome at ND. The TED talk from Elizabeth Cox defined this phenomenon, and made my feelings more valid with mentions of famous and talented people like Maya Angelou experiencing the same insecurities. Also hearing my peers in Moreau talk about their struggle feeling inadequate made me feel much better and more accepted. Knowing that I’m not alone and everyone else is adjusting too is comforting to hear.
	Something that has been reaffirmed at my time here is my desire to love others and be a kind person. In his Wesley Theological Seminary Commencement Address, Fr. Jenkins quotes the First Letter of John: “For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: love one another.” I strive to live out this Scripture in my daily life by being an empathetic person and not being too hard on or judgemental of others. The people who I have met here are incredibly special: kind, understanding, and welcoming, above all else. With the examples of these amazing individuals all around me, they urge me to be better. When faced with hate, or more simply, adversity, at college, I make the conscious choice to not respond with a bad attitude or more hatred, but instead forgiveness and hope. Hate can only lead to more hate, and we as young people must be the ones to break the cycle and make the world a better place. Remembering that God loves everyone and gave his only Son for our benefit is another comforting thing I like to remind myself when I am faced with a hard situation or difficult people. My discussions in theology class whilst analyzing the Christian religion and the Bible have reaffirmed my core beliefs and made me a more loving Catholic.
	Hope, both for the future in general and my upcoming college years, has also been a positive of my first few months at Notre Dame. I have learned the invaluable importance of hope as I read more and more about how brutal the world can be and how mean-spirited people are, and how it is crucial for us to empower those without a voice and stand up for what is right. My favorite piece of wisdom from the article about Holy Cross and Christian Education is, “Striving for completeness means spending one’s life as a citizen of this world imitating the person of Christ as the gateway to citizenship in heaven.” By being a Christlike example to others, we make the world a better place, one full of love for each other. If we can put our faith in God during the bad times and are able to look forward to the future, then anything is possible because of His plan. I have reminded myself of this multiple times this semester, primarily when I am missing my family or read an article about a tragic world event. I know that my family loves me and will be there when I get home, and I have hope that my Notre Dame peers and I will be able to change the world.
	An important aspect of college that I was not expecting to require a hard adjustment was my ability to manage my time. I thought, “High school was pretty difficult. This will probably be the same beast, just in a different place.” Boy, was I wrong. I encountered a big challenge in time management during the first few weeks, finding it difficult to balance NROTC, classes, dorm activities, and my social life in addition to my personal mental health. Despite feeling alone during these dark moments, I was able to find light in those who helped me by giving advice and reaching out. “Hard experiences are not the death knell of community: they are the gateway to the real thing,” says Parker J. Palmer. Academic difficulties that I thought would separate me from being at home here at ND actually brought me closer to my communities. I attended ROTC tutoring sessions given by upperclassmen, which made me feel included and valued by the unit that I spend so much time with. I also confided in my RA, Catie, who sat down with me and encouraged me to . I did not forcibly ask these communities (Ryan Hall and NROTC) to rally around me, but they did anyways, and I am grateful beyond words to have such caring and genuine people surrounding and working alongside me. I am constantly asking myself, “how can I give back to these communities and show them the love they have given me?”
	To conclude, my experience at Notre Dame has been full of ups and downs. However, despite the challenges, I have found myself gushing about my school to anyone who asks me or starts a conversation about it. This subconscious, automatic response and sense of pride I have in my school reassures me that I made the right choice, and I would not trade my decision for anything or any other college. I look forward to the rest of my time at school and the lessons I will learn, the people I will meet, and the unforgettable college experience that has already been so special to me.
















Works Cited
Week 9: “Advice from a Lonely College Student” (Emery Bergmann,  NYT) - https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/well/family/advice-from-a-formerly-lonely-college-student.html; “What is imposter syndrome” (Elizabeth Cox, TED-Ed) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQUxL4Jm1Lo 
Week 10: “Wesley Theological Seminary 2012 Commencement Address” (Fr. Jenkins) - https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/wesley-theological-seminary-commencement/ 
Week 11: “Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community” (Parker J. Palmer, Center for Courage Renewal) - http://couragerenewal.org/parker/writings/13-ways-of-looking-at-community/ 
Week 12: “Holy Cross and Christian Education” (Campus Ministry, UND) - Download Holy Cross and Christian Education.pdf