Last Minute Decision

Today is the first day of classes at the University of Minnesota. This reminds me of how beneficial my time at the University was. Although I am still putting the final touches on my master's degree, this is the first time in six years that I won't actually be in the classroom.

Like most college bound students, it all started during my junior and senior year of high school. I visited six schools and applied to all six. However, I was only going to apply to five. After my visit to the University of Minnesota, coupled with my long time, jaw-dropping appreciation for all things maroon and gold, I wasn't so sure it was worth it to apply to be a Gopher. Everything about the sprawling, urban campus amazed me. I struggled to identify whether the idea of myself as a gopher was a possibility or a reality.

Nonetheless, I applied to the University of Minnesota. The preparation of application materials was pretty eye-opening to me. In all of the "hustle and bustle" I managed to send off my application package on the last possible day. There were a couple noteworthy items associated with the correspondence I received from the U a few months later. Jesse Jay Brown was not accepted, but Tesse Jay Brown had been accepted. This individual was also accepted into the College of Agriculture, Environmental, and Food Sciences. My first choice was the College of Education and Human Development, whose acceptance requirements were "lower" than the former.

It still scares me to think about how close I was to not even applying to the U of M. And it scares me to think about what my college experience would have been, had I not been a Gopher. Whether it was living in Minneapolis, playing on the lacrosse team, figuring out the city bus lines, my friends, classes, work, or being close to Prior Lake, the whole experience played an extremely large role in who I am today. I have absolutely no regrets about becoming a Gopher. In my mind, it is the greatest academic institution on the planet. I understand that there are many people who don't agree with me. I am okay with that, but I hope they have an experience that is comparable to mine.