Evolution, defined simply by Charles Darwin as descent with modification, is something that all species go through. However, I am not my own species, but I believe I have gone through my own micro-evolution through my freshman year of college. A fundamental statute of evolution is that genes are passed from one generation to the next and the ones that are favored continue to become more favored in a gene pool, but less useful genes still are passed down. As I get older, I am constantly working to redefine and be the best version of myself for what is needed each day, each month, or each semester. Throughout high school I always had the work hard "gene", but I am willing to admit I did not always have the work smart part down. I would be willing to put the eight hours of time needed to make a paper great in, but those eight hours may come in two sittings rather than in four. In my first semester and a half of college, I have "evolved in two key ways": I look to make use of all available time not spent sleeping, and I seek out others who choose the glass half full perspective.

Time management. I am sure every high school senior today has been to a college visit where they stress the importance of a tight schedule and making a color-coordinated calendar. Rather than time management, I refer to my system as time division. I look to spend specific amounts of time on each thing I need to do, and this includes downtime and relaxation. I have come to the realization that studying for hours on end in one sitting just does not work for me, so I have to break up my studying for one test with maybe an assignment for another class or something more luxurious like an episode of Netflix. In previous years of school I was known for putting in the time, but the hours of the day that that occurred I cannot say I was always proud of. I now know that with the level of material I am studying that sleep is more essential than ever. I can not get away with taking a math test on three hours of sleep anymore. The amount of time dedicated during college has increased for me, so the organization of this time has also evolved to maintain somewhat healthy sleeping habits.

The less definable change that has occurred my freshman year has been my selection of friends. I look for those who see the positive in every situation now because college is a time of great learning and success, but failure occurs somewhat often. I now look to associate myself with friends who encourage me to look forward to possible success on future exams. This is a change from even my own personality in high school where I would dwell on a particular question on a past exam and beat myself up about why I missed it. This practice just is not useful in college because one must always be looking for future opportunities to excel rather than past mishaps. They are going to and have happened already, but the ability to learn why what I wrote down was wrong and then move on is essential to success. I have done my best to surround myself with fellow peers that look to nail the next unit test rather than place blame on the teacher for a bad test question or mope about not studying enough. Accountability reigns king. Those who accept their work for what it is and own the results are able to move on to the next without feeling guilty about wishing they could have done more. This is a change from my early years of high school where, at times, I would look to rationalize my own failures instead of owning my own work for what it was.

I wondered in August how my first year at college would change me, and it has been for the better. I am set to do well in all my classes without sacrificing my livelihood (sleep), and I own the results I produce whether they are good or bad.