My Journey as a college student

            Is college hard? Yes, only if you make it hard for yourself. Is college easy? Not at all, but you can strive to do your best and have fun. I have loved every second of my college career, probably more than high school. Being a First-Generation college student, I was very scared going into college because I didn’t have much to go off of in understanding college life. Now that I know the dos and don’ts of how to live college life and experience it for myself, it might be the greatest time of my life so far! It takes time to get used to living in college but once you figure it out you have the time of your life!

            Starting college meant I had to live on my own for the first time. Before this, my family was always close by, but now they were an hour and a half away. Luckily, I didn't have to deal with the tough dorm life some people talk about, but I was still on my own and that was a whole new ballgame. There were some new things I had to learn quickly, like how to grocery shop, cook, and keep my place clean. Doing all these things by myself made me see just how much my family used to help me out at home, not only with chores but also with money. Some things that helped me with these tasks were easy things like having a chore chart or making daily goals that I had to get done before I could go and do the fun things I wanted to do like go hang out with my new friends. Handling my own money was also a big lesson. I realized I had to be smart about spending so I could pay for both the fun stuff and the things I needed. Living on my own showed me how to balance my budget to make sure I could enjoy life while taking care of my essential needs. Making a weekly budget on a spreadsheet helped me keep this all organized and kept me on track without me spending too much money. 

            Many college students, including myself, find themselves wanting to change their major or minor during their first couple of years. When I started college, I planned to study special education with a minor in psychology. But even before my first day of classes, I changed my major to Communications with a focus on broadcasting, and I picked sports management as my minor. However, I soon realized that sports management wasn't for me. I ended up changing my minor three more times until I finally chose marketing. Making these changes wasn't easy, but it helped a lot to try different classes and see what I liked the most. If you're unsure about your major or minor, my best advice is not to be afraid to change it. What you decide to study can affect your future career, so it’s important to choose something you're really interested in. If you have doubts, talk to your advisor. They're there to help you find the right path, make sure you're happy with your choices, and ensure you graduate with a degree that suits you well. Advisors can be a big help when you're trying to figure out what's best for you.

            In college, I really struggled with balancing my schoolwork, my job in the university's athletic department, and hanging out with friends. I learned a tough lesson: never procrastinate! During my first and second years, I often put off my school assignments because I was busy with work, and I wanted to use my free time to relax with friends instead of doing homework. This caused me to fall way behind and lose sleep trying to catch up, and often, my rushed work wasn't my best. To fix this, I started using a calendar to plan out my time better. First, I added my work hours because those are fixed. Then, I look at my school assignments and figure out how much time I need to finish them. I block out times during the day or even whole evenings just for studying. After planning for work and school, I see what time I have left. That's when I arranged to hang out or catch up with friends. Sometimes, I even combine social time with study time by having friends over to work on assignments together. Learning to manage my time and get things done ahead of deadlines has made college much easier. Now, I do better in my classes, and I still have fun with my friends without the last-minute stress.

            So, if you're feeling overwhelmed in college, just remember that you're not alone. It's okay to ask for help and take things one step at a time. With a little planning and a positive attitude, you can make the most out of your college experience and have the time of your life.