My journey at Stockton started during the summer of 2013. While all other high school graduates were enjoying in the sun, my college life had already begun. I was enrolled at Stockton as an EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund) student. It is a program that helps students who need help financially. And all the EOF kids had to do five weeks of schooling at Stockton during the summer. These five weeks of fun, stress, joy, pain and many more emotions started on 29th June, 2013.

On the first day we were assigned our dorm mates and dorm rooms and had a medical done. It was an easy beginning. We had an evening meeting on the first day where we got our schedule for the next five weeks. As soon as we saw morning workouts starting at 5:00 am after two days everyone sighed. Also, we had to take a standardized test for the placement in appropriate classes the next day (Yes, we had to take two classes during those five weeks). During the first evening meeting itself every student present there knew, it was not going to be easy.

The food served during the first few days at N-wing (college cafeteria) was very appetizing and everybody used to devour the food. But as soon as early morning workouts started and the classes started, the N-wing food became monotonous and everyone started missing their home food. After first weekend when  everyone come came back, everyone brought tons of food with them. All the dorm rooms were stocked with home food, chips and canned food.

The classes weren’t hard but after the early morning workouts, it was a pain. We also had lights out and curfew during our stay. Doing all the homework during lights out without being caught was the best part of EOF. People used to hide in closets and finish their homework with the cell phone torches (sounds weir but it was fun). If lights were found to be on after lights out by any of the coordinator, everyone on that floor would be called down to dips (even if it was midnight).

As all of us were going through the same kind of pain, EOF students became a family. People on the same floor would make sure no one was late for the workouts, pull all nighters together in the common room, share the home cooked food and many other things. EOF was a lots of fun as well. We went to six flags, went out to bowling arcade and also went to see a Shakespeare play. It was a lot of fun!

I met so many great people and made great friends. Learned a lot about how to survive college in those five weeks. These were some of the best college days. Haleigh Sockwell, another honors student and very good friend of mine shared this experience with me. I surely miss EOF days even today.

Walking around on campus the other day, I stumbled upon the Day of Scholarship.  I had no clue what it was or what was going on so I figured I’d check it out.

I didn’t spend too much time walking around, just a few minutes trying to read what the different things on each table said.  There were only a few tables up and it didn’t seem like there was a whole lot on the tables but there did seem to be some information and from what I could tell the Day of Scholarship was set up to give students a chance to see and apply for different scholarships and internships that the school and local community members offer.  It also looked like there were supposed to be presentations of different things throughout the two days that it was set up at the school but trying to make the time to go to them was very difficult considering it was only from 10:30-3:30 on both days.

Unfortunately, the Day of Scholarship wasn’t advertised all that well.  I had no clue what it was when I first walked by and when I asked people I knew, they didn’t know either.  I don’t recall getting an email about the event or hearing anyone talk about it, especially not in classes.  I just happened to be walking through F-wing one of the days it was happening and see massive signs hanging from the ceiling advertising it.  If it hadn’t been for the signs, I wouldn’t have known anything was going on.

Like I said before, I didn’t spend too much time there.  I just walked through pretty quickly, but it seemed like a great idea!  There was a bit of information on the tables and the concept behind the Day of Scholarship is fabulous.  I guess there were also supposed to be presentations.  I wish the Day of Scholarship had been advertised more because it seems like a great idea and an awesome way to get involved!