I doubted myself. I thought I was going to struggle a lot during my first year in college. But high school prepared me well. I was able to break those old habits of procrastination. I took four classes my fall semester and challenged myself with five classes this spring semester. I managed to get on the Dean’s List. And to add to those, I joined four clubs: Pre-Professional Medical Society (PPMS), Association of Pre-Nursing Students (APNS), Writers Uknighted, and Knight’s Bow.

I was a bit anxious at first that I would not be able to find my niche; however, I managed to find a couple niches that stuck with me. Erasing any doubts of a never ending struggle, I found a way to balance my academics and my social life, making my freshman year in college my most memorable one yet.

In my fall semester, I flew through College Algebra and General Psychology. Numbers are my forte and anything related to the study of human behavior piques my interests. My nursing elective class was a bit overwhelming. I was definitely devastated when I realized I had gotten a B+, since the College of Nursing has a totally different grading scale. Now that I am aware of how their system works, I will not make that same mistake again.

Biology I with lab was also a breeze. Making flashcards and going to SI sessions helped boost my grade up. If I needed help, I was not afraid to ask for it. The professors are there for a reason. I had the opportunity to review the ones I got wrong on the exams and make sure I had them ingrained in my head, because a few of those questions reappear on the final exam. Cumulative exams are my least favorite since you have to retrieve old knowledge in the back of your head. The best advice I can give you is to not wait till the last minute and study a little each week to prepare for your finals. I guarantee you will ace those finals if you work hard till the end.

In my spring semester, I had quite the challenge. I definitely had to crack the book open more and do more research in terms of the papers my professors have assigned. I stayed up later at night just to master those chemistry concepts and kept rehearsing my speeches to get a perfect or a nearly perfect score on them. Much to my surprise, I ended up with an A in those classes. I thought I was going to get another B, which would have been detrimental to my overall GPA.

In terms of my social life, I have never been more social in my entire life. I held the position as Vice President of Writers Uknighted and participated as a scriptwriter in our first annual film festival. This club I hold close to my heart and I am melancholic to leave it all behind. We have published our first Uknighted Collection, which contains a variety of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction written by the members themselves. The Harry Potter themed end-of-the-year party was also a blast as well as the DNCE concert I attended. I guess you could say this semester was “lit.”

Having successfully finished my finals, I ponder about what this summer holds for me. I will never forget what I have accomplished my freshman year of college and who helped me along the way. Regardless of the struggle and seemingly endless sleep deprivation, I am grateful and blessed to be able go to college and pursue my dreams to be a nurse and a writer.