My First Night At College

By: Molly Fox

 A jam packed car full of sheets, a comforter, clothes, a refrigerator, a printer, decorations I did not need, and one very, very scared 18 year old.

It was pouring rain.

The rain pounded down on the windshield as me and my parents drove down 476. My sisters trailing behind us with another car full of stuff I did not need nor had room for. I was terrified. As we pulled off the exit my stomach tighten for I was getting ready to spend the next 4 years at this very unfamiliar place.

We pulled up to public safety to retrieve the key to my dorm. I sat in an unconditioned room for 30 minutes while the lady at the desk rummaged through a box full of small envelopes trying to find the key to match me.

“Fox?” she said.

“Yup” I replied

“Maggie?” she said

“No, Molly” I replied

“Oh, here you are” she said handing me the envelope

Gee thanks I thought.

I moved in a week before everyone else because I played volleyball and had preseason with all the other fall athletes. Moving in one week earlier meant no room mate for one whole week.

I was so nervous living by myself in a dorm. I would have no one to really talk to or hang out with. I did not know anyone else, not even anyone on my team. I just realized I did not know any of my team mates besides my coach.

I jiggled the door knob trying to get the key to work to open the door to my room. My whole family had helped me move tons of things into my room to make it like home. There was no air conditioning which made it nothing like home. There was one small window. I was growing more and more nervous because I had to leave in 2 hours to have a fall athletes meeting in another building. Great. My mom and I made my bed as I felt the tears coming.

“It’s just the fear of the unknown” my mom said.

My dad and sisters had left go to the Phillies game. (They didn’t actually tell me they were going to the Phillies game till months later because they did not want to make me feel bad or jealous about them going to a game without me.)

There were two nice girls who lived next to me who played field hockey. They walked by my room and peered in to ask me if I wanted to walk over to the athletes meeting with them.

The first thing I thought was: no, I do not want to walk over with you I want to go home and lay in my own bed in my own house with my family.

But what came out of my mouth was: “Sure, that would be great.”

My mom and I finished up the last few things of putting together my dorm as she looked around the room nervously. This was it, time to say goodbye. I hugged her and cried for I do not even know how long.

“Everything will be great, I love you” she said

“I love you, mom so much” I replied

I watched her walk down my hallway and out the door. I went back in my room and cried so hard I almost threw up.

I walked out in the hallway as it was time to leave for the athletes meeting. The nice girl next to me asked if I was okay. I’m fine, I told her.

We walked over to the building up the hill next to the cafeteria, it was so humid and hot. I walked into the auditorium when one of the senior volleyball player came up and grabbed me and walked me to where the other volleyball players were sitting. I did not even know she knew who I was. My coach was there and he greeted me and told me how happy he was to have me here. Yeah, I’m thrilled I told him even though that was the furthest thing from the truth.

I settled in a seat next to another freshman volleyball player as we sat through an hour long meeting listening to our athletic director talk about how the NCAA has a zero tolerance for steroids. No shit.

After the meeting the captain of the volleyball team stood up and said we needed to be at the gym by 5:30am and suited up and ready by 6:00am.

“Are you f*cking kidding me” I thought

I do not think I have been up before at 5:30 for anything in my life.

That was all about to change.

I headed back to my dorm for I was so exhausted from the day. I turned on my TV and put on the Modern Family complete season 1 DVD.

It automatically made me think of my family and me watching it so I quickly shut it off. I really needed a shower, I was sweating in the dorm that had no AC and it just happen to be 97 degrees that day. I go to the shower and it looks like prison showers. I hop in and try and turn it on and nothing comes out. Okay, that one doesn’t work.

I go in the next one and turn it on as hot water hits my back. I am sweating in the shower. I rinse off as best I can and head back to my room. Sweat on my forehead.

I set my alarm for 5:00am, and called home. I had to hang up at first when I hear the ring because I start to cry harder than I thought. I try again and my dad answers.

“Hey Mol” he says

He asks how the meeting went, I told him it was fine and I need to be up at 5am. I told him I loved him and he put my mom on the phone who asked the same series of questions. I told my mom I was already homesick and she said that was normal.

“But like I really miss home, Mom”

“I know it’s going to be okay, first night is always tough, try and get to sleep you have to up early, and I love you”

“I love you too”

 There was huge thunderstorm that rolled in, with horrible thunder and lighting. Just perfect, I thought. I had to shut the window at that point which made my room even hotter. I had a small desk light on because I hated sleeping in pitch black, that started to flicker. The field hockey girls next to me must not have needed to be up at 5am because I could hear their whole conversation through the paper thin walls.  I laid on top of my bed and shut my eyes and said a prayer. The next thing I knew my alarm was going off and it was 5am. I threw on all my volleyball stuff grabbed my bag and was out the door. 

The security officer sitting at the front desk of my dorm told me to kick some ass.

“Thanks, you too” I replied

It was so early I didn’t even care if that made no sense.

It was nonstop volleyball from 6am to 12pm and then again at 5pm that night. It was like that for the whole week.

Fast-forward 4 years later and here I am, just graduated college. I could not think of a better experience in my life than college. I had the best time of my life and I am so happy for all the experiences I had and all the people I met. I have met some friends I know I will have for life time. 


Every time a new group of freshmen came on the team I always told them its okay to be home sick and if they needed anything to call me, I know first nights can be a little rough.


 I am also so thankful for my Dad who told me to suck it up when I called home crying from being so sore from volleyball workouts wanting to come home. If you would have picked me up and took me home, I would not be where I am now.