I Love My HBCU: First Year At Hampton

College is already such a unique experience. But to attend an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) is an opportunity unlike any other. I am a student at Hampton University, the REAL HU. I won't lie, my first year was definitely a struggle for many reasons, but after months of persevering, I managed to overcome the obstacles in my path and grow to love my Home By The Sea!

The biggest issues that I had with the campus were: dorm life, the food, and not having a car. Here's why..

Dorm Life: I stayed in Twitchell Hall my first year. I LOOOOOOVED my room. I personalized it and everything. It felt like my own little apartment. But every time I stepped outside of room 109? I was like...

Brace yourselves, I'm about to get very specific. The aroma would reek of rotten fish, people left bloody tampons on the floor in our community style showers, there would be chunks of hair clogging the drains causing floods in the restroom, people pooped in the showers (more than once), the microwaves were full of filth and hair, trash would overflow in the laundry room, and outside of people's rooms, and the kitchen smelled like a funeral home. I am not exaggerating about any of this.

But, there was no one to blame for the quality of our living. We're in college now right? It's our responsibility to clean up after ourselves. The janitors could have done a better job of maintaining the things that were out of our control, but for the most part, it was up to us. Which taught me two very valuable lessons: all people are not raised the same or even the right way for that matter and secondly, save up as much money as I can so I can move into an apartment! This upcoming semester, I'll be staying in Dubois Hall. Preparing for the worst, but praying for the best *fingers crossed*.

The Food: So maybe I was wrong for assuming, but I truly believed that by attending a predominantly black school the food would taste like a home cooked meal from my grandma. I was very, very wrong. Almost all the food is inedible. Except the pasta, waffles, beef stroganoff, and... that's it. Occasionally the chicken is good and when they have donuts I get excited, but other than that, the food is a disappointment. One morning I asked for a "frittata" (a fancy egg) and the woman literally had to beat the rock hard eggs until she was able to scoop something out. The eggs were dark brown and difficult to stomach. Overall, almost everything in the cafe lacks seasoning and has a questionable texture. With that being said, I stopped eating there. I'm sorry that I'm wasting your money on a meal plan, mom :\

Fortunately, we have Subway, Chick-Fil-A, Pirate Grill, a Chinese, Jamaican, and wing place. Subway and Chick-Fil-A's fries are tolerable, but everything else has got to GO. Not to mention that most of those are not included in the meal plan.

No Car: Honestly, not having your car after being licensed for three years sucks for the obvious reasons. We're not kids anymore! No one wants to depend on others for transportation and Ubers feel like they're a million dollars to a broke college student with only 38 cents in their account (my personal testimony).

BUT... through all the diversity, I learned something. Struggle builds character. And living the college lifestyle has inspired me to keep pushing towards my goals so I never have to experience pain like this again. Plus, there are bright sides of college. The parties, many organizations you can join, and simply getting involved. Once I made myself busy by participating in events, shows, organizations, etc. I didn't have time to be homesick or think about the few things that sucked. Being active made me proud of my school. I'm still working on making lifelong friends, and breaking out of my shell a bit more, but that comes with time.

To end my first year, I finished with a 4.03 GPA, I made the Deans List, I was a part of two winning shows, I have not only learned about my culture, but I've also become more proud to be black. I learned what it means to be professional, Hampton Style, and most importantly, why people love Hampton so much. So don't let those three negatives scare you from attending Hampton. Truthfully, every school has its issues. But I guarantee that no school is as valuable as Hampton is!

#college #HBCU #Hampton