Older, wiser, making college tour fun

My housemates would hate me, but I wouldn't mind at all. I was referring to a college tour, which wasn't different from traveling. I wouldn't know it if my family didn't have a holiday.

I had mixed feelings about our vacation halfway around the world. It would take us to Queenstown and the nearby areas, Sydney and the vicinity, Java, and Singapore. I struggled to bring my backpack, while my patience was tested during the flight delays. My parents killed the time by reading a paperback, while I was forced to look around. I learned to appreciate the unfamiliar sights, even chatted with a number of passengers. I stand corrected, as I could remember the panorama of Queenstown and the peaks from the distance. I won't mind visiting Sydney Harbor again, while I had a startling experience at Mendut Temple at Jogja. (Someone seemed to left an infant on the doorstep of a Buddhist monastery. He was sleeping soundly. A backpacking couple couldn't help but take a picture with the unsuspecting baby.) There were waterfalls on the way, but I would prefer the falls within the Flower Dome. Why would I say all of these things?

Checking out the universities, where I might be a student, would be similar to sightseeing. It would be possible to take pictures, but I had a different mission. This was how I did it:

I made a short list of the universities. It took me a couple of hours, on several occasions, to do this task. I made sure that the English Department (from these universities) would offer the best, if not challenging, program. It would turn me into an up and coming author. I rather not be called a promising writer, as many would be pressured to live up to the hype. And it would happen before the first novel was out in the market. I believed that meeting fellow teenagers, who shared the same aspiration, would be the best start.

The universities have something to offer. I would understand many students who saw tertiary education as a chance to stand up on their own feet. But there was more to the university than learning to be independent. Some of the structures would go back to the 19th century, if not the early 20th century. And I wouldn't refer to the hollowed grounds of Oxford and Cambridge (in England). Those who would study history have been offered a chance of a lifetime. If these old structures could talk, which could be a huge help in paper writing. I chose imagination instead.

Get out of my shell and mingle with the others. Most of the people I met at the English Department were strangers, but I had a good feeling about them. They would join me in this great journey. I had a hunch that they would be glad to help me. And their lives were different from mine. Different background, with a different opinion, would enrich my college experience.

Familiarize with my second home. There are some things that I couldn't verbalize, which I would call instinct. And I learned not to dismiss it after taking a multiple-choice test. It means a second, if not third, visit. Hang out with the people whom I might spend a lot of time during the next twelve months. And look around one more time. Is this university good enough for me? Do. I feel at ease? Does the program satisfy me? After I answer all the questions in the affirmative, I proceed to the next item.

Making sure that I pass the requirements. I must write an essay, which an admissions tutor look at. This might be a make-or-break case. I have to look back at my college tour to inspire me.