Touring colleges as an admitted student, when I knew that I could study at any of the fabulous schools I was looking at, made me examine them a little differently. Instead of deciding whether a school had given a good enough presentation for me to add it to my growing list of places to apply to, I was able to spend my time looking for small things that would influence my decision.

At this stage in my college tour process, I spent a lot of time just exploring campuses alone. Conn’s Camel Days have some sessions that are for students only. If you really want to imagine what it’s like to be a student here, spend a significant part of your day exploring without your family, because they are not going to be the ones walking with you to class on most days. Who knows—some people might even assume that you go here.

Not having my parents around made me decide what I wanted to get out of my final visits. Looking back, I realize that what I most enjoyed about being an admitted student was taking time to just talk with people at the schools I toured. Now that I’m a student here, I constantly have fascinating and enjoyable conversations with students, faculty, and staff alike.

One event at Open House that really gives you the opportunity to start getting to know people here is the lunchtime Academic Fair in Cro (short for the College’s Center at Crozier-Williams). I’m still close with all three of the professors I met on that day, and it’s amazing to see how just as I’ve grown and changed over the past two years so have they. Last year, I was even asked to come back to the Academic Fair to represent the Philosophy Department, and I’m planning to do so again this year. Of course I love bragging about philosophy, but I also do this because I like to remind myself what it was like just two years ago when I was there as an admitted student, and to tell students about how they will go far.

Two years ago, when I looked at all the activities each student at Conn did in my admissions brochures it seemed like everyone was overextending themselves, but once I got here I discovered that there are ways to manage doing a lot of things. No matter how hard it may seem to be able to do the many things that you’ll see us do at Conn every day, I know that everyone the Class of 2021 is going to do just as many amazing things as I do, and a Camel Day is the beginning of discovering your adventure.