No longer am I a rookie freshman.

Sophomore year is fast approaching, and summer is coming to a close. It's time to break out the big guns. I had a pretty good freshman year, don't get me wrong. However, some things have to change.

Academics are key. I mean, it's college, right? There is always room for improvement. I know for sure that I didn't give my all freshman year, by any means. I still had pretty good grades, but they could always be better. I need to learn how to manage my time properly between school work, my social life, and naps -- 9lots of naps. It's time to really excel in my academics as my nursing courses start. It's only going to get harder from here.

I feel it is also important to surround myself with actually good friends. I thought many of my friends were great during my freshman year, but now I realize those relationships were not healthy. They aren't on a good path, by any means, and they were just dragging me down with them. I can't let others influence me in a negative way when it could greatly impact the rest of my life.

It would be wise to really learn how to sleep more at night, so I am more awake during the day to function properly and do more school work when I should. I've always been a night owl, and it's hard for me to fall asleep until very late at night. I may try and get on a schedule where I have no choice but to go to bed early, regardless of what's going on.

I'm trying not to stress that much going into the new year, like I did last year. Even though I know the school and how things work, now, there is still plenty to be nervous about. The could bes, the what ifs -- it's never ending. However, I just need to learn to take one day at a time and try and relax.

College is supposed to be one of the best times of your life. It is full of many new learning opportunities, life experiences and fun. Trying to keep everything in a healthy balance is going to be quite the challenge, more so than I thought. I'm sure I'll eventually get it down, but I have to keep trying.