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Transformation Essay: A College Fridge

By Melissa Calendo

Art 100

April 11, 2014

My transformation project includes 27 photographs of my college refrigerator. The

photographs were taken each day in my Northern Arizona University dorm located in Flagstaff,

Arizona. The black and white photographs are arranged chronologically and the angle is similar

within all of the pictures. Recognizable elements include the temperature control unit on the top

right side of the refrigerator and the baking soda cavity on the top left side. The photographs were

taken with an iPhone 5s camera and were digitally uploaded onto the computer.

Thesis Statement

I think that the photo series reveals everyday restrictions, laziness and priorities of a

college student over time. I see within the first eight photos, the refrigerator is packed with food

and beverages, and over the semester it gradually becomes emptier. I also noticed that the food is

of higher quality in the earlier photos, representing the financial problems a college student

struggles with throughout their duration of living in a dorm.

Everyday Restrictions

The transition of high school to college can be huge, especially for students who choose to

live in a dorm. The restrictions are clearly evident in my photographs. While living at home, most

parents supply their family with a massive amount of food in a huge refrigerator. A lot are items

that can only be used when cooked, or condiments that go along with meals. While attending

college money, resources, and space are tight. They usually end up eating inferior goods such as

Top Ramen and microwaveable foods. My refrigerator shows this, as it has only simple and easy-

to-make goods such as bread, yogurt, and lunch meat.

Students are also limited because of financial issues. While in college, paying for tuition,

housing, and loans can be tough. Throughout the semester, money only gets tighter and food is

something that has to get cut. This is represented in my photographs because the refrigerator in

photos 1 through 10 have a sufficient amount of items, while photos 22 through 27 have close-to-

nothing in them. Space is another limited factor because our college refrigerator is half the size of

the one we grew up with. Not only are we restricted with how much we can keep in it, but we have

to share the limited space we have.

Laid Back

In my opinion, the life of a college student can be pretty laid back at times. Students get

burned-out of studying and begin to lay around watching Netflix all day. You can see that

grocery shopping is one of the things my roommate and I became lazy about throughout the

semester. In the first half of the photos, our refrigerator was pretty packed with groceries and was

restocked when it got low. However, in the second half of the photos, our refrigerator became

empty and wasn’t stocked with much more than drinks and dressings. This is because we were

strongly motivated in the beginning of the semester to go grocery shopping and we made sure we

had plenty to eat, but as the semester went on, we became lazy and didn’t care as much. In the

first few pictures, while eating at a restaurant, my roommate and I would bring left-overs home

to reheat, which is shown in Photo 1 and Photo 3. This is also something we lost interest in doing

as time went on, as taking the food to the kitchen and reheating it became less desirable. These

photos represents several other lazy habits of college students. The images also illustrate that as

time goes on, student priorities change.

Priorities

My body of work indicates the continual changing of priorities and a range of factors that

trigger the change. In the beginning of the semester, grocery shopping was at the top of my list—

but gradually became less of a priority. Photo 13 includes Girl Scout cookies and Red Bulls on

the top shelf. I remember this picture because I took it during midterm’s week, and those items

were very appealing at the time. As the homework load became heavier, and the stress of

midterms and projects approached, there was less time to go out to eat with friends. This is

illustrated by the photos of Naked Juice, which is a protein drink that’s easily drinkable on the

go.

Conclusion

“We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.” I love this quote. This series of photos has

brought to my attention the factors reminiscent of time and transformations that occur within my

life as a student. The photo series characterizes the everyday restrictions of a college student, the

laziness they often acquire, and how priorities change over time. Just as one of my favorite quotes

says, “Use time as a tool, not a couch,”

I have learned that time must not be taken for granted, and that the smallest things can

represent a big difference in the person you are becoming. The overall lesson is that I am still the

same person I was when I first entered the college life and while my priorities change as reflected

in a mere refrigerator—my life is filled with never-ending challenges, as I venture down a path of

daily academic rigor to a hopeful future of professional freedoms and financial independence.