I graduated high school when I was 18-years-old. I was so happy, and so excited to finally be done the four years that were the years from hell. I was excited to start a new chapter in my life and be in a new environment, being able to pick how many classes I wanted to take and at what times.

I started off at Community College to save myself some money and to work full-time as a waitress. I went to the campus my first semester, then took online classes for my last three semesters that I spent at the Community College. There were times where I was frustrated and bored, becoming aggravated with the online courses, but I knew it what was best for me. I worked hard to get good grades to be accepted into a University in their journalism program.

I now attend West Virginia University, and I am a Junior year student with just one more year to go. I have been given many opportunities such as being a writer for the school newspaper, being a news broadcaster for the school radio station, and of course, being a writer for The Odyssey. This year has been a different one for me. I am living five hours away from home in an apartment where I pay my own bills, cook my own food, do my own laundry, and clean my own bathroom. I am living on my own in a place that is not familiar to me. I am used to being surrounded by skyscrapers in a city known for their cheesesteaks, with aggressive drivers and a lot of traffic.

But I do like this place. It is the total opposite of my hometown and it is a great experience for me to live outside my comfort zone. Being here without family has left me with a lot of time to think to myself. Within these last four years of my life, I have grown as a person. I was childish in high school and made mistakes that I have learned from. High school was a rough time for me, but going through the things I went through made me into a stronger person.

I am three years deep into my Journalism program and I decided just the other week that I wanted to be an Elementary School teacher. One thing I learned in college is that you are not going to know what you want to do as a future career. You may think you know what you want to do, but then change your major six times. I also learned that it is okay that you are not sure what you want to do. Even though I love my program, I know that it is in my heart to spend my days being surrounded by kids and spending my summers relaxing on a beach somewhere.

I learned that you have to do what makes you personally happy. For me, it is spending time with my significant other watching "Shark Tank," looking up beachy craft ideas, eating pizza rolls and Oreos. My happiness is not drinking until I black out, going to endless parties, wearing clothes that show a great amount of my body and making new friends every weekend. People think of college as being a time to "experiment" and learn how to pull an all-nighter to take a midterm the day after you drank a whole bottle of vodka. Every single day I think of my future and picture how I hope it will be. That is the motivation drive that makes me want to study harder and do better in school. I also believe that happiness is the best cure to any sickness in life and that it is key to succeed. I have spent so much time being sad, depressed, and scared, that I want to fill the rest of my lifespan with positive things that make life worth living.

I learned to become a better person, and continuing to become a better person. I am not perfect, but when I make mistakes, I learn from them. I learned that trusting the man above will leave me with less stress and that there is a plan for me. I also learned to start loving myself. I haven't loved myself in a long time for many different reasons, but I do not want my life to go by where I am unhappy and prevent myself from doing the things that I enjoy doing.

College is a beautiful place because it is so big and filled with many different clubs, events, places, jobs, and opportunities. Attending the sports events are something you definitely want to do because it is the time when the community comes together as one big family. I never thought I could have so much fun dangling my keys waiting for kickoff or talking LIVE on the radio.

When you are in college, not one person judges you. You do not have to impress anyone and you can go to class wearing pajama pants and a hoodie. It makes it so much easier to be able to be yourself, and every day you discover who you are as a person a little bit more.

These last three years have been the best years I have had. Every day I learn something new and I appreciate certain things more than I once did. One thing I can say is that being away at college made me realize how important family is and how I regret the times I didn't spend with them. If it wasn't for the people who have been supporting me through my education, I would not be here doing what I do.

Some may say their journey is coming to end, however mine is just beginning.