I came into college thinking I knew just about everything there was to know about life much like any typical teenager. My parents would constantly remind me that I was 17 and had only barely skimmed the surface of knowledge about the world, but I would insistently respond by claiming I was "worldly" and "street smart." It wasn't until almost being through my first year of college that I realized how right they were.

In high school, I went to a tiny all-girls, Catholic high school. I don't think a bad thing ever happened in that school. We all walked the halls so happy and care-free; our biggest worry was if they were going to run out of mac and cheese in the lunch room. I lived in a suburb just outside of Detroit. It's probably one of the most boring cities in the world where nothing of interest ever happens, but because I would go downtown with my friends about once a month for a baseball game or concert, I thought I knew what it would take to make it in a rough and tough city. Gosh, I was so wrong.

College has broken me out of my "safe" white picket fence world. I had never seen an actual protest, let alone getting caught in the middle of one what seems like every week when walking through the Union. Never in my life had been exposed to so many diverse people. Religious backgrounds to political beliefs to ethnicities.... college opened the door for me to fully come to understand and appreciate the infinite many differences this world has to offer. Moreover, living on your own and having to do simple things like doing laundry, remembering to eat, and making sure your room has all your everyday basic necessities, is definitely not as easy as I thought it would be. Furthermore, on campus this year, we have experienced multiple tragedies and losses that I could have never imagined happening back in high school. Making sure that no one EVER walks alone during a night out on the weekends would have never crossed my mind a year ago, but now it's constantly on my mind when going out.

College has completely altered my view on life. I am not the sheltered girl I once was. I am still not "worldly" my any means (but I like to think I'm progressing toward it). The past 6 months have made me realize the world is not all rainbows and butterflies like I once perceived it to be. It does not mean that the whole world is evil and bad; simply, it has both good and bad and it is important to be aware of this fact. Of anything I have learned in college, this is probably the most important thing I have learned thus far, and I am sorry mom and dad I did not listen to you when you told me the first 500 times that I am not "worldly".