A Lion’s Life—From a Freshman Perspective

Hello again! It is officially my thirteenth week here at LMU and I could not love it more! Slowly but surely everyone is finding their groove, both academically and socially, and I can hardly believe there are only a few short weeks left in my inaugural semester.

Among all of the new activities I have become involved with, such as joining a Christian Life group and LMU’s Accounting Society, I had the chance to speak at this year’s Open House for prospective students, chronicling my experiences as a freshman and how I originally made the decision to become a Lion. And though writing a speech seemed daunting at first, it was an honor to share my story of experiencing my sister’s life as an LMU Lion and getting to become one myself.

I also spoke on what life at Loyola Marymount is like, from my classes to extracurriculars to the Jesuit values of the school. In terms of academics, LMU’s core curriculum is exciting and fresh, with my English class based on the connections between math and music, and my history class studying the role of media and visual culture in today’s society. Even more, because LMU is dedicated to social justice, volunteering within the community is at the center of many of my classes. This has led me to serve with Feed the Hungry, which meets weekly to make lunches for the hungry and homeless in Santa Monica, and also to apply for one of LMU’s service organizations in the spring.

I also touched upon campus life, one of the greatest aspects of what has made my time at LMU so wonderful. My residence hall is filled with excitement and support, both from the RAs and my floormates. Every night we sit in the hall, drink tea, and work on our homework alongside each other, and our doors are always open. These friendships I have made within my residence hall have truly shaped my experience thus far on LMU’s campus, and I know that these friends will remain in my life for years to come.

Now, as the semester winds down, I’m simply living day by day, having just finished midterms and currently preparing for the long haul to finals. When I’m not studying, I am spending time with my new friends (plus making the occasional visit home), and I know the next few weeks until the end of the semester will fly by even quicker than the last twelve—and I couldn’t be more excited.