ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, August 27, 1996 TAG: 9608270127
SECTION: WELCOME STUDENTS PAGE: 2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: REBECCA WINFREY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
As far back as I can remember living in Blacksburg, my parents have complained about those annoying college students who take all the parking spaces on campus, clog traffic and crowd the downtown area.
Every May, as the students leave, my parents breathe sighs of relief in anticipation of a low-traffic summer. Of course, every August they sigh in disappointment as the students return to crowd our lives.
Personally, I have had little interaction with the students, other than going to the Virginia Tech library and feeling tremendously out of place among the masses.
The other place I routinely see college students is at Mill Mountain coffee shop, where large numbers go every night. One person will sit at a four-person table and set up his laptop - not caring that my four-person family has no place to sit - and continue through the night with an empty cup of coffee at his elbow.
As a freshman at Tech, I'll be one of them this year, with an empty muffin plate and a table full of homework. I can't help regretting this part of the transition into my hometown's college life because I've seen how annoying students can be. I feel a little better knowing that every college town is bound to have these problems, so I couldn't avoid it by going to a different school.
How is it that I came to decide to join the ranks of local coffeehouse regulars I'd always eyed from a distance? It all began my junior year of high school.
That year was just as exciting as any high school student's: All my free time was spent filling out those annoying little postcards to get more information I really didn't need on colleges about which I'd never heard.
I knew I was looking for a school with a good science program, but beyond that I was completely lost in the piles of mail. Well, I had to put a stop to that, so I looked for picky details like distance, cost, size and location.
I finally narrowed it down to five of six colleges. Then my family decided to start visiting [colleges]. After seeing Johns Hopkins University, the first on my list, I was firmly convinced that I was going to Tech.
Baltimore was large and crowded and smelled of car exhaust. I decided that I didn't want to live in a strange place, room with a person I'd never seen before or try to navigate a swarm of strange buildings - all while struggling under a heavy class load.
On top of it all, no college I was interested in would let me bring my cat to the dorm. I love animals, especially my cat, Minerva, and I didn't want to leave her for a whole year.
After I went to the Tech open house, I was convinced. They told me that it was possible to combine engineering and the pre-veterinary requirements, although this combination of studies is rare.
Once my decision was made, I applied early to Tech. After being accepted, I enjoyed watching my classmates sweat over expensive applications to expensive schools as I prepared for Christmas without a worry.
I'm not scared of attending Virginia Tech, because I have become familiar with the campus after 12 years of going to various camps, concerts and plays there. I am a little worried about the difficulty of the classes, but I think I can handle whatever they want me to do.
Since I'll be living at home this year, the only change in my morning routine will be to head toward the commuter lot instead of to the high school
I am actually very glad to be living at home, because I see a world of benefits. I will have a quiet place to study at night, a home-cooked meal every evening, free laundry, the comforts of my own home and - best of all - a cat to curl up in my lap when I come home from school.
On the negative side of things, I don't get to be free and on my own for two more years - when my parents say I can have an apartment. I have to listen to my sister's loud music, and I won't have the much-treasured college dorm horror stories to share with future generations.
Still, you'll probably see me this year hovering over tons of notebooks in the coffee shop or occupying a parking space downtown.
Just remember, I've been here for the past 12 years, so I'm really not an addition to the crowded streets.
I just might use them a little more.
Rebecca Winfrey, who graduated ninth in her class at Blacksburg High School, moved to Blacksburg at age 5. Her father, an associate professor, commutes to Concord College in West Virginia. Her mother sticks closer to home and works as a computer programmer in town. Winfrey kept busy this summer working at a dog kennel and volunteering at a veterinary clinic for cats.
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Winfrey. Graphic.by CNB