My First Day on the Campus

　　I still remember the day when I first came to the college. Being a boy of 17, I was longing¹ for a new life as a college student; but, at the same time, I had no idea what college life would be like.

　　That morning when the bus carried me to the gate of the college. I was so excited that my heart was beating very fast as if it would leap out of my mouth. From now on, I would be a student of this college. After registration², we were led by an instructor³ to the dormitory, where, for the first time, we were going to live without parents but roommates. I was so clumsy that I did not know how to make the bed and fix the mosquito net.

　　In the afternoon, I took a walk around the campus together with my roommates. To think of studying in such a beautiful place made me feel quite proud of myself. As we were walking along, talking and laughing, a voice came into our ears, "Oh, look at these freshmen⁴!" It was our middle-school-students' looking that gave us away. We continued our tour of the college, inspecting every building and every garden until the sun began to set.

　　In the evening, we sat together, talking about the past and the future. We were so excited that no one wanted to go to bed.