As soon as I knew about the possibility of becoming part of the spider diaries I began thinking about it in order to decide if I should apply or not. At that moment I wasn’t sure of how much time I would have to be involved in something like this, but I like to write and I thought it would be interesting. Therefore, I wrote a mock diary that became my application. What you’re about to read is the diary that allowed me to become part of the spider diaries, written a couple of weeks before arriving at the University of Richmond.
“Applying to UR was an easy decision for me. I had been looking for schools that matched my interests and personality as soon as my senior year had began. Through this search I realized that the University of Richmond had to be one of my top choices, not only because of its position as a well-known school, but also because of its great athletic programs and the beauty of its campus as a whole. As soon as I took the virtual tour located at the home page I was completely astonished. The possibility of living and studying at UR grew inside my mind after noticing I was truly amazed at the sight of every single building. After feeling moved by the perfect combination between nature and modernity that I witnessed through the tour, there was no doubt that the University of Richmond was the place for me.
This is the reason why I told everyone as soon as I received the e-mail saying I was being offered admission to UR. And that is EVERYONE. As proof, the next day at school even teachers new about what had happened. My excitement was quite notorious, and added to that I had a new haircut. Here in Peru, my home country, it is tradition to cut the hair of those who are accepted by a university. My friends wasted no time at that of course. As soon as the second period of the day ended and the first break began they were borrowing scissors and then waited for me by my locker. By the beginning of the third period my excitement due to my admission to UR wasn’t the only thing that was notorious. My hair had decreased in size to the point that there was almost none, and some holes were visible too. This was a signal for everyone who hadn’t realized before, and by the end of the day I had been asked a hundred times where I had been accepted to, even by people who I didn’t really know. Proud I had answered every single time: University of Richmond, Virginia.
Almost four months have passed since I received that e-mail and now I’m getting everything ready for the trip. I’m a month away from finally leaving the virtual tours behind and seeing the campus for real. Perhaps I’m more excited now than I was before. I know I will just have to wait and see what happens upon my arrival, but I’m sure Richmond will be everything I pictured and more. Having my sister with me will definitely be of great help and I’m actually happy about her coming with me on this trip, even though it sometimes may seem otherwise. On the other hand, I’m sad about leaving my country, but I know it’s time for a change and this is nothing but a new beginning for me.”
