College is poetry in motion for Michelle Grace

Michelle “Mickey” Grace used to play football for the Germantown Bears, now she walks in fashion shows and presides over the poetry forum at West Chester University. The regular NewsWorks contributor talks about her first semester at college.

Michelle is a resident of Germantown and a 2010 graduate of Germantown High School.

 

What was your biggest surprise about college life during your first semester? My biggest surprise about college life was the culture shock. I have been in a diverse or a predominately black school my entire life, but in West Chester sometimes I was the only black student in the class and I am only a freshman! What will happen when I become a senior? Did your high school prepare you for the academic work you’re being asked to do?

College work is not that different from my high school work. Nothing was a total shock, so yes I was generally prepared.

Is your social life: about what you expected; less than you hoped; or more than you imagined?

My social life is much more than I had hoped. I am very involved and really social so I knew I was going to meet a lot of people, but I did not think I would be this socially involved, at least not my first semester. What was the best experience of your first semester?

My best experience is hard to choose. It is a tie between walking in my school’s fashion show and being a highlight in the show; and being told I will be the president of our poetry forum “Poesis.”

What was the worst?

The worst thing about my first semester was taking things off of my plate. I loved being involved and I like to be a part of things, however sometimes I had to say no, or take myself out of leadership positions, which was really hard for me. How often do you contact your parents?  What’s your favorite way to stay in touch with them? I talk to my mother everyday on the phone, and I talk to my dad through my mom. lol. I also poke my Aunt Louise on Facebook every single day, and if I don’t the police might actually show up at my door looking for me. Do you stay in touch with your high school friends as much as you would like? How do you manage it, or what caused you to drift apart?

I did not stay in contact with my high school friends as I imagined. On top of my being ridiculously busy, our lives have become really hectic. It became easier and easier to not talk, however we do still randomly express our concern for each other through text messages and Facebook. What song or movie title best sums up the start of your college career?

Bittersweet by Kanye West

 

NewsWorks thanks Michelle Grace for compiling the responses in Back From College. See the whole series here.