Who have I become?

Who have I become? For I do not feel like the same person when I started here three years ago. My time here has been filled with many beautiful nights, many daily challenges, and many times of genuine and amazing growth directly attributed to the Prescott College community.
Currently, this is the beginning of my junior year, and I have ventured into a way of life that several years ago I couldn’t have even imagined. In blogs past, I have referred to the poet Rainer Maria-Rilke in doing my best to explain the tendency for people to have all the answers to all of the questions unsolved within their hearts. Essentially though, if we had the answers, life would be monotonously boring and full of disenchantment. Gratefully, and as Prescott College consistently notes, life is a journey, not a linear formation of destinations, but rather an ever evolving, ever transforming story that changes based upon how we perceive the world, and how strong and capable we feel that we truly are.

I am sure that as a perspective student, or one who has already been admitted, many questions come about, and in many ways, even I still don’t have the answers to some of the ones I came here with, this is after three years of attendance at this amazingly effective institution. Alternatively, some of these big questions that arise can be answered very simply with yes; you will find affordable housing, you will make friends that will probably last a lifetime, and you will take classes that can be found at no other college, which will challenge your current ways of thinking, but you will grow into a way of being that positively transcends your current lifestyle beyond anything you are currently perceiving.

In essence, I will significantly go over some very effective steps toward alleviating a few of the major anxieties that are you probably being faced with as either a prospective or newly admitted student. Furthermore, you are not preparing for college alone, many have gone before you who can offer advice, such as myself. Moreover, and equally important, it would be incredibly irresponsible of Prescott College to not support our newly admitted students in the most committed way possible.

 

How do I find housing?

Again, to put this simply, you will definitely find housing that suits your needs. This may take a few different living environments so that you may better understand your needs within a household, but there are an extraordinarily diverse amount of living accommodations available for those who are willing to explore.

There are many ways to go about the process of finding and moving into a place that feels like home. I find that websites like craigslist to be secondary sources rather than the end all, be all. One must also remember that they are not the only one looking for housing, and that sharing a house is a much more affordable option that vying for a studio apartment. Some of the efficiency apartments around town can cost almost $700 a month, whereas sharing a house like I do, the cost is $300 per month. Moreover, I did not look for housing until after orientation. This is a common concern, but one must reflect upon whether one would like to pay for a months rent without being town, or let the journey run its course and secure housing during the ten days after orientation, which is more than enough time. Please believe me when I say this, letting people know that you are looking for a room will be the most effective way to locate housing. There are more rooms for rent in Prescott then there are students who need them.

In terms of college support with housing, there is a housing fair that helps people locate others who are looking for a place to stay, along with local rental proprietors who only work with Prescott College students.

 

When it comes to finding a place to call home, the answer to what the place looks like is different for everyone, but the process is generally the same. Be patient, and don’t worry that you might be sleeping in somebodies yard, unless you truly choose to do so.

 

What am I going to study?

The answer to this question will not be an answer but more of general recommendation to reflect upon your deepest needs and desires. Once this is done, and it will take time, you will grow toward a course of study that is significantly meaningful to you.

Some direct ways to figure this out:

1.  Explore your interests. How will you know what you like if you have never explored it before? How does one know they want to be a doctor of they have never volunteered in a hospital or clinic? 
2. In order to better understand who we are, we must understand who we are not? We should not be afraid to take classes outside our realm of comfort. Who knows what we might find? I started with an elementary education competence, and after an 800 mile horse-packing expedition focusing on integrated awareness, a few classes in social justice, and speaking with many supportive faculty members, I am currently creating a self-designed competence in Sustainable Social Development.

Start with Exploring what is needed, rather than what is wanted.

Begin with yourself, and expand from this central point. Through reflecting on our own needs, we can become better prepared to help others, and live into a lifestyle that creates much growth and lasting happiness.

Our parents, friends, co-workers, and everyone else in the world can support us in many wonderful ways. Alternatively, there are going to some who do not. We cannot blame others for the decisions that we make, nor can we do what others say is “good,” when we know in our hearts it feels like absolute poison.

In the end, wherever we go, there we are.

Taking a quote from a memoir written by Victor Frankl during his time of surviving in a concentration camp:

“Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms, to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”

In effect, Prescott College is not for everyone, but for those who call it home, it is an environment that has shed light on many places of darkness. We don’t have lots of “stuff” like many others schools, and we don’t have a big cafeteria, but rather, Chef Molly who maintains a first name basis with many students, and brings in local meats, vegetables, and grains from farmers who I have personally met.

Prescott College does not assess us students based upon our capacity to memorize unemotional statistics. Instead, it is the content of our character that is put to the test, and it is our responsibility, along with the great support of faculty and staff, to find our “own way.”

Live the journey,
Jordan