My College Visit to OU, a religious HBCU by Melina

Melina, Class of 2019, shares how a college visit has helped in deciding which college to attend

     
  Everything is all cool until it's time for the after high school world. You’ll never know how hard choosing a college is until you're pressed for time. Currently I'm not 100% sure of where I want to go for college or when I want to go, but what I learned at Oakwood University at OU Live 2018 is wherever I end up, God intended on it going the way it did. It's easy to say you want to go to an ivy league or a high-cost school but factors like NO MONEY or a BAD TRANSCRIPT will limit you to where you can even go.
Whatever college I go to, I want to feel safe and be focused. For the dates of October 3 to the 7th at Oakwood U, I had my first real college experience. Over the course of the 5 days I was there, I toured the campus, stayed in a dorm room, ate like a college student, went to Church/Aym release/chapel/Vespers , and overall I enjoyed myself. I am a Seventh Day adventist and the best part about OU is that the school is Seventh Day Adventist, and I won't be in a worldly atmosphere. There security is something serious, too. I feel like this is the college I’ll end up at, but in the back of my head, i'm telling myself to not limit my options. A part of going to this school, comes with a series of worship services throughout the week  I was never a big fan of church, but they make it to where you don't think of it as just church. It's like a serious spiritual experience throughout tust 1 hour. Words can't even describe my trip down there, but I'm glad I went.
So some people  might not know general information about a religious HBCU like Oakwood, so I’ll explain. Seventh day Adventist is a religion where we hold the Sabbath as the holy day instead of Sunday. We believe God Loves,Creates, Redeems, Inhabits,Transforms, and Triumphs. We base our religion solely upon the bible and are strong in our beliefs. Being in a christian environment gives you a sense of security and peace all while you’re around people who believe what you believe. Being that Oakwood is a HBCU they strongly uplift race there. They encourage you to be proud of where you come from.
My mom is someone I truly appreciate. She does everything that she can for me, and I know for further education she’ll go above and beyond. I can't imagine losing my support system. I remember a friend of mine’s mom had called during a AYM release service to tell him that He’s the reason for her death… and killed herself. I don't know why but every time I think about it I cry.
I love new opportunities, especially if it's for the better of my life. College is the gateway to the real world, and I want to be able to gain new habits and have the best life I can. I’ve heard that a diploma is worth millions, and I have my career of being a Social Worker planned out.
When choosing a college , I feel you should go visit several. A college you might think is the best and you’ll do great there, you won’t like at all. You have to study what you’re putting your thousands of dollars into. I know where I'm going because I’ve done my research and I’ve gotten that college experience.

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