Campus
White buildings of Occidental College campus stood majestically against the blue sky. The campus was known for its beauty and often appeared in films and TV shows. The arched corridor of one of the buildings was familiar from 90210. The dining hall where Alicia Silverstone sat in the film, Clueless, was under renovation, and we had to eat at a gymnasium in the first semester. Still, the staircases that led from the fountain to the buildings cast an air of wealth and privilege.
I was assigned to a dormitory on the East edge of the campus. When I entered the room, there were already boxes and extra furniture. My roommate had already moved in and placed her stuff, though I didn’t see her the first night. There were two bunk beds, each with a desk on the bottom. I was scared of climbing on the bed, which had no ladder, and I had to pull myself up with one foot on the desk and the other at the edge of the bed. Did people ever fall off of it in the night?! There was a chair to the desk, a chest of drawers, a mirror, and the closet. The shower room was shocking. It was one big shower room parted with curtains. I thought of a prison shower I saw on TV. I missed the comfort of my own apartment with privacy and freedom. Living in a dormitory was difficult to get used to, as I had always been a private person and hated doing things in a group. I was already anxious on day 1.