Change is inevitable in university life, so roll with it

Paw Prints of a Graduate Student

By Puja Punukollu | Columnist

Six years ago, I made my first move ever, hauling overfilled boxes up to the fourth floor of Oak Hall in bright green bins. I grew up in the same house my whole life, so the idea of suddenly living away from family was overwhelming enough. Add to that an almost nine-hour drive down from Washington, D.C., as an out-of-state student, and the whole thing felt even more intense, but in an exciting way. I remember the blur of those first days: Roar Camp activities, rearranging my dorm room late at night, and my parents Facetiming daily more for their peace of mind than mine.

Move-in has always been chaotic, but standing on the other side of it now, it feels like a full circle moment to watch the next generation of students unpack. It makes me realize how much has changed, for both the university and for me.

Back in 2019, Augusta looked and felt different. There wasn’t a single bubble tea shop in town. Elm Hall was still where the graduate students lived, and the parking deck next to it didn’t exist. The space in front of the Medical College of Georgia was just a gravel lot, nothing like the busy green space it is now with students from the College of Science and Math. Looking around today, it’s hard not to constantly notice how much the city and campus have grown.

What stands out even more, though, are the day-to-day memories. I remember late nights as a freshman at Reese Library with friends, studying, but also joking around and keeping each other awake. I remember feeling too intimidated to set foot in Ed Commons because that was “where the med students were.” The kind of nervousness that comes with not knowing if that space was for you yet.

That was really the story of those first years: finding belonging and yourself. At 17, suddenly living eight hours from home, I was learning how to exist outside of the safety net I’d always had. Every late-night study session, every organization meeting, every new experience added up to small steps toward building my persona.

Fast forward seven years, and I’m now a fourth-year medical student applying to residency. I walk through regularly the same MCG entrance I once avoided, mentor other Jaguars, and continue leaving my mark on campus. The shift from being intimidated by the building to being part of it is a reminder of just how much has changed.

It isn’t just me. The friends I made that first year have scattered into different paths, some in the workforce, others in law school, some starting medical school now, and some graduating alongside me here at AU. Back then we were pulling all-nighters at Reese; now we’re sending each other updates about new jobs and graduations. It feels amazing to see how each one of us has been shaped by Augusta University and have grown so confidently into our current roles in life.

This year, I was even asked to speak on the local news about the annual move-in. Standing there at 23 years old, it hit me how quickly time had passed. In some ways I still feel like the freshman panicking over Bio 1107 and figuring out how to study, while making friends and joining organizations, and exploring a whole new state. However, standing there, I was the one giving advice to the next class. Talking to reporters about move-in week made me feel older than I expected—not in a bad way, but in a way that underscored just how far I’ve come.

It was wonderful seeing all the bright new faces at AU, students who haven’t yet discovered their favorite study spot, their friend group, or the career path they’ll eventually pursue. Watching them, I realized how much of the college experience is about those unknowns. You don’t know yet which late-night library session or random class will turn into a lifelong friendship, or which organization meeting will lead to an opportunity that changes your path.

For me, those moments began with move-in at Oak Hall and have stretched across seven years to today, where I now find myself on the cusp of graduating from medical school. For the new students arriving this fall, they’re just starting out, unaware of the ups and downs they have ahead of them.

And while the campus and Augusta as a whole may look different, the excitement and possibility of that first move-in are the same. Welcome, Class of 2029, I can’t wait to see how Augusta becomes a part of your story too.

Contact Puja Punukollu at MPUNUKOLLU@augusta.edu.

Note: This is the first in a series of regular columns on graduate life by Graduate SGA President Puja Punukollu, who is a MD/MBA Candidate from Washington, D.C. She plans to be an OB/GYN.

Puja Punukollu (left) and Undergraduate SGA President John Blalock taking part in President Russell T. Keen’s Fall 2025 Kickoff in the Maxwell Theatre. At the top of the page, Punukollu addresses the Class of 2029. (photos by Mike Holohan/DCM)