I DID IT!!! Excitement is an understatement; relief is an even bigger one. I can be honest in that I never thought I wouldn’t be able to do it, but there were definitely times when I wanted to give up. My first semester of college was a huge adjustment period. There were plenty of struggles but without them I wouldn’t be able to consider my first semester such a triumph. Before college there was a constant pit in my stomach. I was worrying about the what ifs of college, what if I hate it, what if I’m homesick, what if I make no friends or hate my roommate.

All these what ifs were quickly answered and that is where the triumphs began. I got to school, moved in to my room and discovered the three strangers I met from a Facebook group would soon become my best friends. I learned that the strangers down the hall, who may only be 30 seconds from me at school, but live hours from my own home town would also become my best friends. I would also meet people from Long Island who live only 10 minutes from me but I never knew until we both moved 7 hours upstate to college. All the “strangers” who surrounded me at first, I can’t imagine my life without.

The school work I thought would consume me. What if I fail? What if I had no fun? It took trial and error. I had to learn the balance between work and fun. In high school the work was nothing compared to the course load we are all now faced. We go to class for a short amount of time and the real work happens outside of the classroom. I must spend hours doing homework and studying, just to make sure I am prepared for the next class. This becomes hard when you live around your best friends and you have a serious case of “FOMO” or the fear of missing out. Its challenging to know when to have fun and when you actually need to buckle down. Luckily, I found my balance and learned that sometimes you need to prioritize. There is a time for fun and there is a time for school. Anyway, we did come to college for an education.

My first semester is one that I will always remember. It is where I got into my groove. Its where I met my best friends and learned what it is like to be on my own. It may have taken some stumbles, but overall the first semester was one of my biggest accomplishments for myself.