Something I hear all the time now after I graduated high school is "Wow, time flies!"

I have found a lot of truth in this phrase going through my first semester of college. It's crazy how, last year at this exact time. I was getting ready for my high school graduation and my senior prom. Now I am writing this article after finishing freshman year of COLLEGE. I can remember, back in 2009, walking into my fifth grade classroom, looking at the girl in front of me and smiling. I remember the middle of eighth grade and trying to figure out what high school I wanted to attend. I remember freshman year trying to pick the shop I wanted to be in, getting that shop, becoming secretary of the math team, going to homecoming and prom. It is crazy how many memories you can make in just a short amount of time. Looking back at it now, it feels like forever ago, but during those 13 or so years of school, time felt like it dragged on forever.

Now that I have graduated, I feel like I don't even have a sense of time. I swear, at least a dozen times today I forgot what day it was. That only gets annoying when I have stuff to get done. I could spend all day running errands with my mom, come home and not realize that it is 5 o'clock at night. I tell myself everyday that I am going to be productive. But always find myself at 6 o'clock at night with nothing done.

When I was in school I went through my structured day of classes, came home off the bus, did my homework, ate dinner, maybe took a shower and cleaned my room. By 5pm, I have absolutely nothing to do. I feel like that is why some adults are always late, without a structure during the day you literally just wing it. Sometimes I get up in the morning and don't realize I am still in my pajamas when noon comes around.

My brother told me that his teacher said it is because of all the "firsts" you experience during those years. Your first day of school, first boyfriend/girlfriend, first heartbreak, first school dance, first party, first time driving, first performance, first time transitioning to a new school, first time playing a sport, first time getting in trouble and so on. During school I remember distinctly my first best friend, my first cell phone, the first time I interned and my first tattoo. Growing up I always said I couldn't wait to be an adult, because I could do whatever I wanted. In reality, being an adult is so stressful due to the lack of structure after graduating.

If I learned anything, I learned not to rush life because once you graduate, time doesn't slow down.