The first day of starting anything new can be stressful especially if it’s college. College can be oftentimes nerve-wracking and scary for many people because it’s completely different from what high school is. The transition from high school to college is different in the sense that you won’t always have people to tell you what class you have to go to or what activities are going on. If you want to be a part of a sport or activity in college you will have to do the research and find the best suited for you. The part where you realize that everything you do now and in the future is solely dependent on you. It’s only you, no one else is going to help you in every step as we were all used to in high school. Trust me, I am still working on getting used to being independent and making important decisions by myself. As a high schooler, I was very dependent on my parents, friends, and teachers to lead the path. And that made me feel that I am in a secure place in life and I won’t need to know how to be independent because I always had people to help me.

Though, that changed in an instant, when I stepped into my dorm, I had a sort of awakening and I realized that from this day forward, I am in this game all alone. There may be professors, advisors, and other people to help me but I have to choose what I am going to be successful and build the future that I want. I, suddenly, had the energy to take on college and I told myself, “I am going to get through this with flying colors.”

OnIowa! and move-in week was so fun, I met new friends, and made so many memories. I was having the time-of-my-life. Going to welcome parties, playing games, and just hanging around all day seemed super fun and I thought this year was going to be a breeze. It wasn’t until the first day of classes that I realized that it’s not going to be a breeze. I am going to have to work day and night and make all ends meet to get through college. But by saying this I don’t mean that you have to lose your social life and just study all day. I am saying that you have to learn to time-manage and balance everything so that you can be a successful student and enjoy college life. To let you in on a secret, on the first day of classes, I was late to my Algebra class because I wanted to go to an open house and didn’t check my schedule thoroughly. Not the best way to start college, I made the mistake of not planning ahead and checking my schedule. Any advice for all of you is to PLAN AHEAD.