Evolving at Exeter

The fact that students change while at Exeter is a truth that cannot be ignored. Once you’re at boarding school, there’s not much else to think about, let alone much time to think about it. A better word for this “changing” could be “maturing.” Students have to take on new responsibilities that they never had before. Adapting to the type of life expected of students at Exeter results in an adjustment in the students themselves.Caught up in our classes, clubs and sports, Exonians have a hard time connecting with friends back home. Receiving an occasional text from your best friends back home doesn’t compare to living with your best friends here. Knowing that there is always someone right next to you is much more comforting than simply calling a friend back home. The hour-long phone conversations you used to have with your BFF from home are soon replaced with an easy trip next door when work piles up and you’re just too busy. Because there’s always someone around in your dorm, you know there will always be people to rely on, no matter who you talk to from home.On the other hand, the people back home have changed, too. They might not show it as much as Exeter students do, but everyone changes as they grow up. Exeter just quickens the maturing of its students.Keeping in touch with friends from back home, however, helps students branch out from the so-called “bubble” we all live in. The bubble’s existence is unquestionable, but there are ways to escape it. Awareness of current events, for example, allows for connection to the rest of the world and keeps our attention from being focussed to closely inward. The bubble keeps everyone in line and aware of what is going on around campus, but allows for little or no insight to the “real” world. Whenever the bubble feels like it is getting smaller, talking to friends back home can be a great way to free yourself from these restraints.Do we change because of the people around us? As much as no one wants to admit it, we do change because of the people with whom we are associated. We change our behaviors, and even our styles. Do we really become “preppy”? Again, it all depends on the people you look up to, or the people you hang out with. I definitely believe we are influenced to dress classier because of the dress code here at Exeter. If we all look nice and take the time to put ourselves together in the morning, it will reflect well on our school, but also influence our own habits.Ultimately, students at Exeter change for the better. Changing is very different from maturing. A new student could come here any year and mature into a new person. This is an integral part of the “Exeter Experience” that everyone receives. Some people may have a different experience than others, but everyone must adjust to their new lives. Making new friends is natural, but there also should be a connection to friends back home. The person you are in the future will be shaped not only by the experiences you have at Exeter, but also by the ones you had before coming here. Don’t let go of those memories in favor of a few extra minutes of free time. 