The access to higher education is privilege I have been given through my parents hard work over the past eighteen years of my life. Their sacrifices and overtime hours have all accumulated to this moment in time where I can finally say I did something worth reflecting so intensely on. This being said, six months later, it still remains a mystery to me how twelve years of schooling flew by my face so fast, especially the last year of high school.
I think what I've learned from this and my transition to college, would be this piece of advice to the seniors in high school: DO NOT RUSH IT, because you will build those memories and remember them for the rest of your life, but the feeling you get when you think back on them will never compare to the moment you actually lived them out. Cherish every last practice, every last chat with your favorite teacher, every last late night ice cream run with your best friends, because in a few short months after graduation, you will once again be a freshman, awkwardly trying to figure out your way through a brand new setting and group of people.
This being said, the first semester in college has been unforgettable. I cannot believe how quickly I have made friends that think the way I do, share the same interests as I do, and make me laugh like I thought no one except my best friends back home could. It amazes me how many jokes, crazy stories, and memories I've made with these people in the past four months, and I can't wait to share the next four years with them. Even though everything is new territory, the experience lives up to the hype. All I can say, is that college is definitely what you make of it. It does not matter if you're at an ivy league, or a small community college, YOU WILL GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT, like most things in life.
My second reflection on my first semester in college is all the hard work you put in before actually coming to college will make the first semester one-hundred times easier. Obviously I'm no prodigy who never studies for tests or never pays attention during lectures, but I am saying that I cannot forget to tribute my senior year course load with making first semester easier than I expected. I am so happy I decided to stay up until 1:00 am every night in order to complete all my homework, because it has taught me time management, and perseverance. I'm so happy I decided to take the college classes while they were free, because I got out of taking so many intro classes that I am almost an entire semester ahead of some of my peers, and therefore can progress through my program faster. The hard work will suck, but it will definitely pay off in the end.
Finally, I think the third thing I've learned in my first semester of college is that time moves so quickly. I was told that senior year moves fast because everything is exciting and nonstop. College is exciting and nonstop, but for whatever reason, everything moves by quicker. Best advice here, take chances, laugh too much, and regret nothing, because in the end, we're all just here for the ride, and we can only learn from our experiences.
