Yes, although today might have been hot, I could not help but notice the slight chill of the fall breeze quickly approaching. The summer seems to be winding down to an end and with the arrival of the new freshman and returning upperclassmen, this note has only been confirmed. The aroma of barbecues have changed to the fresh smell of new textbooks, and the light sweaters and jackets have come out of hiding. This change in the weather has simply reminded me of the change ongoing in my environment. Socrates, a renowned greek philosopher, once stated that "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy , not on fighting the old, but on building the new."

This school year will no doubt be different from the last because i am different from the me i was last semester. As humans, we are constantly changing as a result of the people and things around us that influence us. For some people change is not easy. On the day that the freshman moved in, I counted four residents who were in tears after their parents left. There were others who were kind of floating around, unsure of who to speak to and what to do. Others accepted this new environment and dove head first into new social groups and some even changed personalities. Change is something that is inevitable, and the way I'm dealing with my own change is simply by letting it take it's course.

I understand that somethings are out of my control and that other things I can't manipulate. However, there are some changes that I am able to make for myself intentionally. I chose to experiment with my clothes and hair styles. Many asked me why and the answer is simply because I wanted to try something different. I feel that as college students we can't afford to sit back and stay in our "safe zones" and comfortability. This is the time to challenge ourselves and step outside of that "box" and tackle head on what the world sends to us. How do we expect to mature and grow up if we don't? How are we going to learn how to deal with spontaneous issues and problems that might arise in our lives if we don't start practicing now? I myself am still trying to figure all this "adulting" stuff out, but one thing I know for sure, is that being comfortable with change is definitely the place to start.