For as long as I can remember I was able to balance school, sports, friends, and extracurriculars relatively easily. There were always challenges, but never ones that made me think I was taking on too much. That was until I jumped headfirst into college, where the stakes are higher and everything's a little bit harder.

Sacrifice isn't something I've ever been good at, because why give up one thing for another when you can have both? At least that was my mindset all throughout high school. Most of the time I was busy, and I loved it.

About two months into my first semester at school I came to the realization that my previous mindset just couldn't work anymore, and it hit me like a brick wall. At the time I was figuring it all out: school was good, softball just as good, I was making friends, and I found some clubs I really felt at home in. However, not too long into juggling those four things my stress level spiked, I was constantly sleep deprived, and I became frustrated at myself for not being able to handle it all.

It seemed as though I was watching other people do it so seamlessly until a friend explained to me that putting in 100% all the time to each of those things would be almost impossible as the years progressed. That statement was honest, despite being one of the hardest pills to swallow since being here.

As second semester is upon us, there will be the same old challenges, along with several new ones I'm not sure I'm prepared for yet. I'm still not completely out of the "have my cake and eat it too" mindset, and I think that's okay. In some ways it keeps me ambitious, and it helps keeps me grounded.

Part of me always wants to strive to have things both ways, but learning it's not always possible is part of adjusting to a world where expectations are high and each move matters a little bit more than before.