The pilgrims traveled to the new world in 1620 in search of a new life. They needed a fresh start and a place where they could worship freely. In many ways prospective college students are just like the pilgrims, searching for freedom and the opportunity to create better foundations. New college students also endure several hardships as they struggle to establish who they are in their new world.
Leaving England was not an easy decision for the Pilgrims and in the early sixteen hundreds the society spent ten years living in Leiden, Holland. Under the Dutch law they enjoyed religious freedom, but left for the new world to preserve their English heritage and religious beliefs. Leaving home is also a hard decision for some heading off to new schools in the fall. Although America is more accepting of individual differences today than the world was in 1600, it is still a challenge for everyone to fit in our society. This is also the time when a huge amount of freedom is given to this age group. The confidence and responsiblity that transpire as a result of this new change helps the pilgrims and new college students achieve sucess in the next step of their adventure.
The next step for college students is to establish a strong career base by taking specialized courses in a decided major. During this process new ideas are developed and old skills are refined. The next step for the Pilgrims, after landing on Plymouth Rock, was to start building their community. They also continued to build on their religious beliefs making them stronger and establishing the foundations of the democracy. College students also draw hope and inspiration from their heritage and moral beliefs as they mature into life after college, the real world. .
Using past experiences as their guide, the Mayflower Society flourished and attracted many settlers. In 1621 they curved American history and made their historical mark in the world by hosting the first Thanksgiving with their neighboring indians.