By Sophia Bolin
It’s officially week three of MSA and the inevitable “taking it home” mindset is becoming a reality. For many scholars, they were unsure how they’d be able to last three weeks without seeing their friends and family everyday. Some had to leave behind their summer jobs, summer school credits, pets, or other camps in order to be here. Initially, a lot has to be given up in order to spend three weeks at the academy. But, at the end of this, MSA has given much more to the scholars than they could have ever expected.
The academy administration keeps a lot of secrets from incoming scholars and their families. Whether it’s the vagueness of cor:PSD, the random themes of dances, or the schedules being handed out the night before, scholars can’t plan out their experience until the moment is in motion. With constant activities, plenty of unscheduled games, and trips to the student center, scholars are almost never bored throughout their time at MSA. For this reason, among many others, scholars can call MSA home for their three weeks here, and continue to feel a sense of family when they go home.
The only flaw with this once in a lifetime opportunity is just that- it only happens once. While some scholars come back to be an RA, faculty member, or fill other jobs- their experience as a rising junior can never be recreated. As the end of MSA draws nearer, scholars will be spending their last nights with their roommates, sharing their final highs and lows with their house, and taking their last walks to their major and minor classes everyday. Scholars, upon their return home, struggle with reverse homesickness or -MSAsickness- if you will. So, how do they go about saving their best days for last, and how will they survive at home in the *real world*?
Step one: Denial. Scholars will take as many pictures with their new friends, obtain as many social media handles and numbers as possible, and rant to their parents until they fall asleep because of the SEVERE sleep deprivation they experienced for three weeks.
Step two: Anger. GET MAD! MSA will be over, you’ll be back home with those people that you thought you couldn’t live without. HA! You thought! You’ll miss your friends, and your back home friends just will NOT do.
Step three: Bargaining. You’ll think of every single possible way that you can drive all over the state to reunite with your besties and plan out all the diverse cultures you can introduce each other to. Good luck persuading your parents to let you drive 2-4 hours all the time.
Step four: Depression. Scholars will… like… actually realize that MSA is over. They’re never going back. Forget it, it’s done, it’s cancelled. Just cry.
Step five: Acceptance. Move on, but MSA forever. Just yell boomba everywhere you go. Whatever you do, wherever you go, never forget your nametag.
Stay tuned for Elizabeth’s article on how to take the MSA mindset into week four!
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