ABSTRACT
When i applied to the American University of Beirut in the spring of 1950, I was virtually certain that I would get admitted. However, I fretted until I actually received the acceptance letter, which I read several times. I was keenly aware that going to college was going to mean a far more significant change in my life than the transition from elementary to high school-even though, since I would continue to live at home, the everyday circumstances of my life wouldn’t change that much. I knew I would now be facing greater challenges, but it was far from clear what courses I would take, what career direction I would choose, and in what ways my social life would be different. This uncertainty added to the exhilaration as well as the anxiety over what the future held for me.
