Thanksgiving passed.
We prepare to cross from November into December to begin the highlight of the holiday season.
After returning home from the extended Turkey Day break, the majority of us may have finally realized that the bonds and relationships we have developed at UF define us in more ways than we initially comprehended.
There is no doubt I, along with many other first-year students who returned home for the first time in months, enjoyed the long-sought comfort of family, home-cooked meals and showers without sandals.
We appreciate that being home allows us to recharge for the next stressful weeks we have together in what, for most of us, is our second home: Gainesville.
At UF, for better or worse, we have the opportunity to build relationships and meet people from different backgrounds, different states and unique religious and political views.
After all, what’s important is not what makes us different; it’s the overwhelming factors, such as our collective goals and ambitions, that come to unite us not just in the Gator Nation, but in the entire nation.
One of the biggest concerns and misconceptions potential students have about UF is that the university is a large, impersonal place where you are just a number.
This could not be further from the case.
That belief, instead, is key to spit ignorance and divisions among a potential new student population.
We all can agree that a major component of long-term success is creating a network of like-minded and not-so-like-minded individuals and groups that we can foster those impactful relationships with.
As I conclude my first semester at the university, both personally and academically, I have been surrounded by a distinct extended family that consists of students and faculty.
Within the university, and in particular my academic college, it is relatively easy to interact with people who support me and help me plan to achieve my personal and professional goals.
My positive experiences at UF clearly demonstrate that there is a vastly underutilized support network here that we can all benefit from and should take advantage of.
Throughout the last few months, I’ve come to realize how easy it is to put yourself out there and to take risks.
I have since come to the conclusion that we only fail if we are unable to learn from our mistakes.
I am pleasantly surprised by the level of support here. The network of support I developed remarkably allows me to start making a difference on campus and in the community while thriving academically after a single semester.
I tremendously appreciate this aspect that has been made possible by the UF community, and I am excited to see what next semester has in store for me.
College is, and should be, about experiencing a variety of beliefs and cultures in addition to building an extensive network of relationships. I could not be more thrilled with my experience, and I could not be more thankful.
It seems that the only group that can top my excitement, in the present and into the future, is Coach Will Muschamp and the reloaded football team that appears to be headed to New Orleans.
It looks back to championship form after its demolition of Florida State University.
Matthew Schnur is an economics freshman at UF. His column appears on Wednesdays. You can contact him via opinions@alligator.org.
