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Home Analysis

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A physical house is where most people would identify their home. I, however, believe a home is so much more than the physical location. A place to call home is great, but without a feeling of security and kinship, it means absolutely nothing. A home has to shape you, and effect you in ways that no other place can. It takes a really special combination of values to make the perfect home, therefore, home is not comprised of one entity, but multiple. It comes together in the form of a physical place with familiar features, a structure inside which gives a sense of security, and its lasting impact on your life and personality.
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania is a small, rural town. The only way anyone has heard of it is through the university it holds …show more content…

This structure gave me a sense of security different than that of any other place. Ever since I was young, I had specific time to eat, sleep, do extracurricular activities, etc. This changed when I was older, but I continued to keep a loose structure around my daily activities. This has instilled a need for routine and stability in my life. This stability is currently offered through the class schedules and events here at Eastern Mennonite University. Along with the need for routine, certain rooms inside of my house have always felt particularly at home to me. My bedroom is the place I would go to do homework, be sad, or just watch Netflix. It is the safest place in my world. The elements of structure and a familiar place are what make me thrive. I have always looked forward to laying in my bed after a long day when I could just be alone. Now, I find myself thinking of my dorm room when a class has been dragging on too long, or when I am feeling exhausted after a non-stop evening. I have made my dorm room a safe place, and do my homework there just as I had done at home. I also use the element of structure to make sure I get everything done on time. I schedule meetings and activities, but still leave enough downtime to just chill. These strides are I an attempt to make the university feel like home, and have worked up to this …show more content…

In the first couple of weeks, I have learned so much about the people surrounding me, but many still seem like they have their guard up. Some seem to stick to the overly friendly route of meeting people as opposed to being their true selves. It is my hope that in the weeks to come, people begin to open up, and really put themselves out there. This would make the campus feel so much more like a home. Demographically, EMU holds extremely different views to those of the people in Shippensburg. Harrisonburg seems liberal and urban with an interest in sustainability. These could just be values of the university, but it seems widespread. Another difference between EMU and Shippensburg is the fact that many people are Mennonite and there is no football. It seems very odd not to have a football game to go to on Friday nights, and that Mennonites here are not wearing long dresses and caps. It is going to take a while for this to start feeling completely like home, but I am confident that it will improve every passing day. I do not want it to take the place of home, but instead be a simple substitute for these four, short

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