The first week of college classes was a surreal blur. The second week just meant getting used to more homework. The third week of classes meant actual work and thinking. After going to classes for this long, my thoughts about school have drastically changed.

First, high school did not prepare me for college at all. In college all of the homework is just reading; there are no little homework assignments like in high school. Also, in high school I was stressed out a majority of the time with the amount of coursework I had on a daily basis. In college, I am almost never stressed, and the reading is easy. I do realize I have not been in class for that long, but I enjoy every class I am in, which was never true in high school.

Second, I have so much more free time. Most days I only have two classes that are fifty minutes each, and on the other days my classes are still fairly short and spread out. My earliest class starts at 9 AM, and I am so happy; some days I do not wake up until 8:45 AM. Then there are also the days where the professor cancels class for various reasons, or I only have class for ten minutes. This laid-back schedule is a huge relief from high school, where I was going to six classes for seven hours every day and then going to work right after for another six hours. Although college classes do require more of a commitment outside of class, I enjoy what I am learning.

Finally, my classes are interesting. There is not one class that I do not enjoy going to and participating in. This is where I have to thank my amazing college of Ashland University and the amazing Ashbrook Scholar Program for allowing me to enjoy myself while learning. I do not have one single lecture class, and I am a first-semester freshman, which is rare for freshmen at larger institutions. I enjoy bragging to all of my friends from home about my extremely small class sizes and how all of my classes are discussion-based. I am enjoying everything I am learning and frequently think about the concepts I learned outside of class for fun.

All in all, college is an amazing experience, and I am so happy I chose to go to Ashland University. Sometimes I feel like I am missing the traditional college party scene, but then I remember that I am not that kind of person. If I went back in time to college decision day, I wouldn't change a thing.