Exploration of myself

As you become college students in the United States, there must be many things that excite you and worry you. Being here in this orientation program three years ago, I myself had a lot of excitements and worries in my mind. Among those there was one thing that thrilled me most: building up friendships with many different people. I remember asking myself, "I can't wait to meet lots of people!" "How wonderful would it be to have many friends!"
In the first semester in the college, making and having friendships changed from delight to utter frustration. I met many people, but the friendships never went further to become deep and intimate. The excuse I gave myself was that accomplishing assignments for my classes left me with little time to maintain companionships, and schoolwork had the highest priority.
When two years had passed, I began to develop many interests and concerns outside schoolwork. And I learned to have spare time for myself. I started to establish my thoughts and opinions: determinations and objectives toward my future; my notion of the art work I create; close attention to different kinds of music; my philosophy as a human being. It opened up a new door to the other dimension of my world, which I was never exposed to. I am now very open minded to different people and their ideas. And discussing and exchanging my opinions with others, I encountered so many different people.
Once, on a stormy day, the wind outside rose to 70 miles an hour, I just happened to be talking with a stranger. We started to talk about intense weather and we ended up exchanging our phone numbers. We talked about classes, discussed our insights on our majors, and debated our futures in the world in which we were live. During the conversation, I was delighted myself being able to be spontaneous and giving him feedback with my ideas and opinions. My heart was beating rapidly with the thrill and satisfaction to have a chance to express my ideas, which I had been pondering. An hour of our conversation seemed like fifteen minutes with all the enthusiasm and excitement.
We are, now, maintaining a great friendship since we first met six months ago. We chat about much subject matter from jokes and dull gossip to personal matters such as our own personal relationships with others. Among the many things we share, the most exciting is when he throws me challenging subjects, which arouse my interests. Since I met him, I learned so much about politics, art history, and American culture. Keeping a friendship with him stimulates my imagination and intelligence, and draws my inner-personality to a deeper world.
Along with my new attitude to expand my world, I realized my appreciation to many people who had given me helps, and decided to take an opportunity to help others. About a year ago, I started to volunteer for the Disabled Student Services. Despite my tight schedule during weekdays, I managed to have time for this commitment. Six hours a week I escort people on wheelchair to their classes, organizes simple office works, and buy lunch for them from the cafeteria. At the DSS office I met a lot of people, have conversations with them, and see different perspectives towards our lives. Through my volunteering experience, I realized how much I had wasted my time thinking only of my self-interests during the first two years. I gradually gained self-esteem because I can feel the appreciation and my responsibility in the office.
I have encountered so many experiences since I changed my approach to myself. Having time for myself, to explore and have many interests, I came to meet the friend I just mentioned, with a positive social contribution. I became ready to explore myself and create my own identity, and it was when I was ready to obtain friends.
I began to seek a different quality of friend as my personality shifted. Now I search for the strong personality with an intelligence and warmth to care about people, and keep friendships in which we can grow together by exchanging our interests. I looked back on myself and I realized my mistakes. I was just looking for someone to hang around just to have temporary happiness, and all I care about was me and my interest.
I would like to say one thing to everyone here who are about to start a new college life. And that is I wish all of you to have the greatest four years. We are students, accomplishing our goals of going to school, is our first concern, but don't just stick your heads into textbooks. We need to open up our minds and hearts to enjoy all the new interests in your life. There are so many things that you can start to make your life more fulfilling. How about paying attention to magazines? Magazines are not just to flip through to see fashion corners, you'll be amazed to find many interesting articles concerning about health, politics, human relationships, and education. Maybe you can find student organizations on campus that can raise your interests. Even TV can be a source of information if you keep responding to their subjects, and try to think further from your source. Some might worry about their less experienced English skills for not being able to communicate well. I know this for the fact from my experience, as long as you are passionate about your opinion, your poor English would not bother people. And if you are even more enthusiastic about your subject, you'll learn English so much faster than any other ways.
I strongly believe that we should finish our college lives satisfied and contented. So, I say, "Why not?" and "Let's make it one!"