I am truly going to miss everything I have experienced here at UConn, but I am excited to take the next step in my academic career. (Photo provided by writer)
I have been looking forward to graduating from the University of Connecticut ever since I found out I was accepted into my graduate program back in January. I am the kind of person who can’t help but look towards the future with excitement, especially when I know exactly what I will be doing in the fall.
Don’t get me wrong, I love college, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to move my tassel to the left at graduation. I will miss my friends and the “college lifestyle,” but it was not until I sat through my final Daily Campus meeting that I realized I would be leaving behind something very important to me in two weeks.
I joined the Daily Campus on a whim. I remember receiving an email from the English department ListSERV encouraging student writers to join the paper. I loved writing and had only just transferred to UConn in the spring, so I was still trying to find my place on such a large campus. I wasn’t sure if I would stick with the Daily Campus, but I thought it might be worth going to the meeting.
I had a bit of a rough beginning as a campus correspondent. I still remember the first article I had ever written—a generic article about what is coming to Netflix in September. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, and the article was about 300 words too short. Not long after that, I covered my first event, where I learned the hard way that the articles were due two hours after the event (even if said event ended at 10:30 pm). Over 140 articles later, I am so glad that I stuck with the Daily Campus.
Writing for the Life Section has opened so many doors for me. I have attended events for clubs that I never knew existed, listened to speakers from all over the world and seen some spectacular music, theater and puppet performances. I have received emails from people from across the country, and praise from acquaintances that I hardly ever talked to. The Daily Campus has made me a more confident writer, and has given me a chance to feel like I was a part of the UConn community even though I was a transfer student.
Perhaps one of the most important takeaways from working at the Daily Campus is that I have become a better writer. Being a staff writer has given me a chance to practice my writing every day, something that can be hard to do when you have a busy schedule. The almost daily practice has improved my writing skill more than any class, and that is something I can take with me for the rest of my life.
The Daily Campus has truly made me feel like I am a part of the UConn community, opening doors for me I never even knew were closed. I am truly going to miss everything I have experienced here at UConn, but I am excited to take the next step in my academic career.
Lauren Brown is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at lauren.brown@uconn.edu.