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Embracing change

<p>The first-year student struggles to balance maintaining old friendships and embracing new ones</p>

The first-year student struggles to balance maintaining old friendships and embracing new ones

These stories were written by students for their JRN 101H class. They are reported stories about the lives of other students on campus.

He’s sitting solemnly in his dorm room, feeling alone despite spending the night with his future brothers.

Tired but unable to sleep, he stares at the encouraging note on the ceiling that reads, “You are enough.”

He questions how he ended up here.

College was supposed to be the place where his dreams came to life. Instead, he feels increasingly distant from his childhood friends.

After a restless night, he puts in his AirPods and walks to class. On the way, he runs into one of his new friends he made on the first night of college. He feels comfort in seeing her. However, he realizes that he has been distant.

She invites him to hang out after class, and his heart sinks. He knows he has to go back to meet with the fraternity brothers.

This is not what he wants.

Overwhelmed, he rushes home after class and drops to the floor, releasing his tension with a sigh.

Pulling out his phone, he calls his mom.

He pours out his feelings – the loneliness, the struggle to fit in and his fear of losing his old friendships.

She listens patiently and gently reminds him that growing apart is part of growing up. After the phone call, he has a new realization. It’s okay to embrace new friendships while honoring the old.

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Feeling lighter after the conversation, he looks at the note with clear eyes. “You are enough.”

He feels relieved knowing he does not have to choose between his past and present.

He sends a quick message to his friend, accepting her invitation.

He knows he will have to break the news about not joining the fraternity to his old friends.

But now he feels ready to embrace whatever comes next.