Integration 2- -2.pdf Moreau Integration 2 12/6/12 Finding Belonging Through Shared Experiences Some of the most important questions I have asked myself this semester are how do I stay true to myself in stressful times, how can I learn from both toxic and healthy relationships and grow from them, and how can we overcome our feelings of imposter syndrome. Through my first semester here at Notre Dame I believe that I have learned a lot from my first initial experiences with college and I can now answer these questions and make a benefit to myself. Another thing I have learned from the first semester here at Notre Dame is that some things don't need to be stressed about. Since I have been here I have learned that some things will come easier than they seem. Before coming here, the whole college experience seemed “black and white” to me because I have never really experienced it yet, but now that I am here, everything seems more ambiguous. My life changed when I came here and I believe it has changed for the better. I have been through the hard parts and I have learned to live on my own and maintain academics, athletics, friendships, and basic life chores. As soon as I stepped foot on campus my emotions were all over the palace. I had feelings of excitement, nervousness, gratitude, fear, doubt, and confidence all at once. I remember our first Sunday class we had was Moreau First Year Experience. I honestly didn't know what to expect from it. But I remember getting to know all these different people who have also just moved onto campus for the first time, and were experiencing the same emotions I was. During Week 11 in Moreau we spoke about community. In one of the articles we read, it states “Hard experiences are not the death knell of community: they are the gateway into the real thing.” (“13 Ways of Looking at Community'' by Parker J Palmer - Moreau FYE Week 11). This quote really embodies the emotions I was feeling during those first few days on campus. It was extremely difficult leaving my home and my sister and my parents and family, but even though it was a difficult thing to do, I have adjusted to it and I feel that now I have more of an appreciation towards home and my family. The appreciation feels much stronger now because I now believe that being away and learning on your own is good for me as a person mentaly and to grow and expand my experiences and community, and it has made me miss home. Now when I go home from school on breaks and for holidays, it makes my experience home extra special because you spend true quality time with the people who you love but don't see everyday. This ties back to community as well because being at school is a new experience with community for me, and sharing something in common with all the other first year students here coming not only from different states and areas, but also from different religions, backgrounds, and ethnicities. It creates an even stronger sense of community within shared experiences. After getting here to Notre Dame a fear that I had was trying to make new friends. Now I have found that after my first semester here, it wasn't something that needed to be stressed about very much. I have seen that it was not only me who was worried about meeting new people and making new friends, it was everyone around me. The amount of events and activities held on campus made it easy for you to meet new people. Also, being in a dorm was a way to naturally make new friends because it creates a new family environment for everyone that we were thrown into. During Week 9 in Moreau we talked about encountering brokenness. The main theme of this week's topic was “imposter syndrome”. In the video we watched for our QQC, a quote that was said that stood out to me was “Everyone is susceptible to a phenomenon known as pluralistic ignorance, where we each doubt ourselves privately, but believe we’re alone in thinking that way because no one else voices their doubts” (“What is Imposter Syndrome” by Elizabeth Cox - Moreau FYS Week 9). This quote stood out to me because I have experienced imposter syndrome without actually knowing the proper term for it. This syndrome is very common in people, and it is normally for people to feel this way. The way to overcome this feeling is to talk about it and be open to your friends and peers about the way you are feeling and it creates less tension for yourself. After learning about this, I spoke to my friends about it and it helped me because they also could relate to it because they share the same experiences. It is also important to be mindful to others because you don't know how they are feeling and they may feel overwhelmed in some situations so being kind and forgiving is a good way to approach people who seem uneasy to these topics. During the summer before coming here, thinking about the whole college experience seemed “black and white” to me. I had completed high school and was getting ready to move onto the next chapter of my life. I didt really know what to expect. I knew it was going to be difficult with my classes, and sports, adjusting to the new environment, and being away from home and family. After adjusting here, everything became more ambiguous and complicated. Things were difficult and stange t adjust to at first but then I eventually got used to it. Something I did expect when I got here was that I was going to succeed and I was hopeful that things were going to turn out the way they were supposed to. During Week 12, we spoke about hope. A quote from one of the articles we read that was meaningful to me was, “It is a vision that takes young people from their earliest days of grappling with ideas and making sense of the world around them to preparing them for lifelong discipleship in a supportive environment that nourishes their gifts and fuels their desire for God'' (''Holy Cross and Christian Education'' by James B. King- Moreau FYS Week 12). For us teenagers, sometimes it can be difficult or challenging for us to know which is the correct path for us. We are still trying to navigate through a new chapter in our lives, while still having to figure out what we want our future to look like. All this stress can become overwhelming, and it is important to check in with ourselves and our peers for guidance and hope that we will strive to become the best versions of ourselves. Something that was ambiguous that now holds greater meaning is the importance of self love and acceptance. During Week 10 we learned the importance of rebuilding ourselves. In the video we watched, they did an activity of smashing a bowl or mug and rebuilt it into its original state again. They used gold paint to put these things back together (“Women Find Healing Through Kintsugi Workshop” by Grotto -Moreau FYS Week 10). This activity symbolized that the brokenness and hurt that each individual has been through can be fixed. The “scars'' from a person's life are represented by the gold paint that was used to put the thing back together. Even though it didn't look perfect, it has significance, meaning, and beauty to it.