I moved in on August 12th, and in the months since then I’ve met some pretty great people (and some not so great people), learned more about myself than I could’ve imagined, and attempted to figure out where my life’s headed in the next four years. For the most part I’d say I’m happy, because amongst the never-ending to-do list and the constant stress of college I’ve found the people and things that make it all worthwhile.

That last sentence makes it seem as though everything’s going smoothly, and with the endless social media posts about college we see people’s highlights. We all get to choose the information and stories we share with the outside world, even though only a few people may know what's really going on. It’s tough to see other people having the time of their lives if you're not, but keep in mind you’re only seeing Instagram photos and Snapchat stories. It’d be nice to say I haven’t been at least a little homesick since I’ve been here, but I have, and I’m pretty sure most other people have, too. After listening to friends cry about missing home, missing friends, and simply not being happy, it makes me think about how often we make blind judgements.

Coming home and telling everyone I love college isn’t a lie, but saying I have it all figured out is. I’d like to think that overall first semester’s been successful. Time management is hard, and keeping myself from procrastinating is even harder. I knew balancing school, friends, and a D1 sport wouldn’t be easy, but I knew it was doable. Over the course of my first semester here, I’ve begun to realize what it really takes to be the person I want to be. There's been a lot of compromise and a lot of life lessons, and it's all helped me start figuring out how to make the most of the next seven semesters. For me, it’s knowing when to go out and when to stay in, when to stay up late and when to go to bed early, and when you can afford to procrastinate and when you really can’t.

Fortunately enough, I’m surrounded by so many people who get it, too. Without all the people who've supported me to this point, I wouldn't be nearly as happy, or as focused. I’m a firm believer the people you surround yourself with are a reflection of you as a person, and I'd like to think I'm doing alright so far.

The college transition is hard for everyone. We’re thrown into a new waters without really knowing what we’re getting into, and we’re left there to figure out how to float, and eventually swim. For me, I’m confident I’ll be swimming sometime soon, but for the time being I’m still taking it one wave at a time.