Tonight the first and second floors of the Freshman D Building got together to watch 13 Going on 30.  This floor program was put on by our RAs because the movie reflects our move into college.  In the movie, 13-year-old Jenna Rink makes a wish to be 30 years old and she wakes up the next morning as the 30-year-old version of herself.  Almost overnight we went from being children living under our parents’ constant supervision to being almost adults, doing what we want to do with our new found freedom.

Jenna Rink relates to a new college student in that her expectations differ from reality.  Jenna wants to be 30 because of things that she sees in magazines, which glorify that age.  She is having a tough time feeling beautiful and wanted as a 13-year-old and believes that when she is 30 everything will be perfect.  However, when Jenna actually wakes up at age 30 she learns that not everything is as she expected it.  She still has to deal with mean girls, she has to work hard to keep her old friendships and when things get really hard she even winds up going back to her parents for a little while.

Jenna’s shock about what the world of being 30 is like is sort of like the realization of the reality of college.  Throughout all of last year I wanted nothing more than to leave for college.  I wanted to live away from my parents. I wanted to make new friends.  I had this illusion that I was going to be friends with everyone because college meant a new me and I thought I was going to be the best at making friends as this new person.  Now that I am here it is great in many aspects, but I have hit reality in some areas.  I am the type of person who likes to have alone time.  Coming to college did not make me someone who wants to socialize non-stop in order to make friends with everyone.  I still like my alone time.  It is great living away from my parents, but I do miss having my favorite dinner or my laundry magically cleaning itself and sitting there waiting to be folded.  And now that classes have started reality has really hit.  This is school, which means school work and all the stress that comes with it.  This new chapter of my life may be awesome, but it is not going to automatically be as perfect as I imagined it. I am still going to have to work for it.

At the end of the movie we did talk about how it relates to our own lives and the lessons found in 13 Going on 30.  Some of the lessons that appeared in the movie were things such as watch who you choose to be friends with, hold on tightly to your true friends, and do not grow up too fast.  All of these are good to remember as we start this new chapter of our lives.  Watching this movie was the perfect floor program as we start our lives here at Stockton.