Unquantifiable

I distinctly remember the moment I met my best friend. It was our move-in day as new lowers in Amen and I knocked on her door, hoping that she would be friendly and would know where to find food. She opened the door crying, struck with homesickness even though her parents were still in Exeter; and then she started laughing. I have spoken to her every day since.

 Attempting to reflect on and summarize an Exeter experience seems impossible, as this place is so unquantifiable. The things that stick out to me the most are the instants that are small, but form the foundation of life here. For me, Exeter wasn’t about huge events or epiphanies—it was a culmination of moments in time that added up to form a complete experience.

 I will always remember talking about history with my piano teacher instead of actually playing piano, the taste of Mr. Reichlin’s cookies at Saturday check-in, somehow enjoying watching horror movies with fifteen girls in the dorm even though I hate horror movies and typing papers in my favorite library carrel overlooking the Academy building. I remember the promise of spring twilight on the quad and getting a bit lost in Madrid with Señor Perez.

I remember the first time I woke up at 4:50 a.m. to make it to The Exonian office by 5:00, chugging my Keurig coffee and asking myself why I was even moving at such an ungodly hour, along with the moments of panic two minutes before the deadline and the triumph that came with the finished product.

Looking back on the past, it’s easy to remember the good and not the bad, so I feel obliged to also remember the bleaker moments. There were countless times that I sat at my desk at 9 p.m. after a packed day and faced a seemingly insurmountable amount of work, and many occasions when I crossed the dark tundra that is campus in February and literally did not see a single other person. There were moments when I felt overwhelmed and defeated in a way that is unique to Exeter.

But for every one of those memories that involve darkness and too much caffeine, there was another moment of togetherness that has had an impact far more lasting, like a huge group bridge jump, running into someone from lower winter math on the path and laughing about that one problem or a second of excitement at the Harkness table when it all just makes sense. My best memories are connected to Amen, staying up late laughing and eating too much sushi, or sitting on the porch at night and letting everything else melt away.

My time here has been both entirely predictable and very unexpected. I could have guessed that I would do lots (probably too many) extracurriculars, but never thought that I would come to love spending a slightly obscene amount of time in a cramped newspaper office. I didn’t think that I would discover a love of history or that I would refer to my dorm as “home.” I didn’t expect to figure out what I want from the future and I certainly didn’t expect to have an idea of how to get there. 

In terms of advice—one of the easiest things to do at Exeter is sit in your room, watch Netflix, order food and complain about how there’s nothing to do. We’ve all been there. So go do something, anything really. One thing that I have learned at Exeter is that it is possible to create fun in the most unlikely of circumstances. Even if you end up back in your room, at least you know you tried. Also, take the classes you want senior year. I only took calculus to have four years of math on college apps, and now I really wish I was in photo or philosophy.

Of all the things that Exeter has given me, the most significant have been the relationships. I love the people here, and I am confident in saying that I will never find another group like this, with so many unique perspectives and a common drive for knowledge and betterment. My teachers here have inspired me, guided me and, of course, helped me learn so much. My friends have always supported me and truly are like my family.

Exeter has given me so much, including some of my favorite people in the world, and for that I will be eternally grateful.