Since my freshman year in high school, I knew I wanted to go to law school. I adored reading, writing, thinking critically, and making arguments; law school was the path for me.

When I arrived at Cornell, I’ll be honest, I felt overwhelmed by the many opportunities the university offered, such as clubs, events, and majors, and I can see why Cornell emphasizes “any person, any study.”

Before I started at Cornell, I had a whole mental list of what college was supposed to be like. Some of it came from social media, movies, personal stories, and a lot from the pressure of attending a big-name Ivy League school. Turns out, a lot of it wasn’t true.

When I came to Cornell from Nigeria as a budding 19-year-old, I had not yet decided on a major. I was undecided. The reason was that, even then, as a teenager leaving my country for the first time, I knew that I would one day return to contribute to Nigeria’s progress.

After declaring a Sociology major in the College of Arts & Sciences, I was considering declaring a minor as well. While browsing through the options, I found a unique minor that caters to students interested in law as undergraduates.

As a senior in high school, nothing is more stressful than having to think about your college application. Your least favorite questions consist of, “where are you applying to?” or “what do you want your major to be?” The daunting questions are endless, but at the end of the day, you’ll come to terms with where you want to study and what you want to study, regardless of the stress.

Since high school, I’ve known I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. When I came to Cornell, I knew that following the pre-med path would be challenging. Between the prerequisites and the pressure to gain clinical experience, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but I’ve learned that with the right support and mindset, Cornell was a place I could thrive.

Senior year was supposed to be a grind, then a victory lap. I’d completed several applications to schools, rewrote essays 'til they were unrecognizable, and poured through AP Lit readings. Then I crashed.

It’s half exercise, half bonding with all students, and fully the best way to de-stress from the week’s workload.

Cornell is a special place to be, in a city immersed in nature, and as a school filled with unique culture and traditions. These are four aspects of Cornell that you definitely won’t find anywhere else—one for each season you’re on campus!