By AESOPer Katie Hartnett
Coming to college for the first time is a scary thing.
Moving away from home, having to make an entirely new set of friends, and
having to sit in class and discuss abstract topics with prestigious professors
are all components of college that worried me as an incoming freshman. So
naturally what did I do? I signed up for this thing called AESOP. I didn’t know
much about AESOP, let alone how to pronounce the word (which is ay-sah-p in
case you don’t know either), but I received an enthusiastic email that encouraged
me to pick a trip—an offer I couldn’t turn down. There are plenty of reasons
why AESOP was the perfect remedy for my pre-college fears: it allowed me to
explore Maine in an environment where I didn’t have to worry about any
logistics, it provided an space for me to connect with other Batesies on a
level much deeper than just a simple introduction, and it was a super fun
introduction to the lively culture at Bates before the start of classes!
One very memorable moment from my AESOP trip was when our
group summited our first peak. Our leaders had hidden some treats the entire
hike up, and we were able to sit on the top of the mountain, enjoy each others
company, and share our snack with a really cool through-hiker! It was a hard
hike up, but we were able to support each other and truly enjoy the experience
of being in the outdoors together. In that moment, looking down at the
beautiful wilderness of Maine, I felt like I really was a part of the community
at Bates. I knew that if these group-mates were able to support me up the
mountain, they would be able to support me through anything in school too. We
were able to laugh together, work together, and learn from each other . . .
college wasn’t so scary anymore!
I definitely owe my first great taste of Bates to the AESOP
program.
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