The month of August quickly goes from the peak of summertime fun to dread for the start of school once again. As an incoming college freshmen, there's this mixture of excitement and unease that is too hard to control or understand. It's exciting to be moving on to independence and something new, especially if you've found a perfect fit for your next four years. But at the same time, anything new causes this underlying anxiety to bubble beneath the surface of all the initial excitement. I'm sure any other freshman can relate. So, here's what I'm looking forward to this academic year...and just a little nervous about.

First, I am so unbelievably excited to be on my own. As the oldest child in my family, I've grown to be so incredibly close to my (wonderful) parents that I don't really know what it's like to be without them for very long. Lame, maybe. But even though I won't be far, I still am on my own and have to basically be an adult, which is really exciting, and I can't wait to grow independent.

I'm also so excited to make new friends. Being from a small town where you know 99 percent of the people in your grade, you get used to being around the same people all the time. I can't wait to be surrounded by strangers and start anew socially. And, I have the most awesome roommate to start off freshman year, which I am all too thrilled to be able to take on everything together. From socializing to late night cram sessions, she'll be around through it all and I'm looking forward to it. We grew up together and now we'll be moving in on our own, so it's going to be an amazing journey and I can't wait.

It's also incredibly exciting to know that my education is preparing me for a future career in my major. Sure I might have to knock out a lot of required and core classes, but eventually I'll be getting ready for something even bigger. I'm chasing my dreams! What's not exciting about that?

The thing I'm looking forward to most about being a college freshman is being able to understand all the little details of being a student at my school. There are so many things Seton Hall students do that I can't wait to do, too. A few of these things include sitting on the green, avoiding the seal at all costs, attending sports games (especially basketball) - even being late to class because Dunkin' was a bigger priority. All I talk about is becoming a pirate, and now I get to finally be one. It's kind of surreal.

Now, alongside all of the excitement, I am also a little terrified about a few things, one of them leaving what I know behind. Like anything new, it's incredibly scary! You don't know a lot of people, you aren't incredibly familiar with the area, and you are completely independent. You have a ton of responsibilities on your own shoulders. We really had it easy up until now. I'm just thankful that Seton Hall provides me with people and resources to aid me in my success. I know for a fact they'll be incredibly helpful in situations where I have no idea what I'm doing.

On top of that, the learning process is going to be completely new. Lectures are something I never really had in high school. We were always provided with power points, note packets, worksheets, study guides, etc. Everything was mapped out for you, and if you read the material and studied it, you'd be good! Who knows how the Professors teach. Keeping those grades up in order to maintain good standing with my scholarship requirements is super vital. So, I hope I'm able to adapt quickly and learn how to take suitable notes, study properly, etc. We'll see.

Freshman 15. Need I say more?

And lastly, the bitter truth about being a young female in the college scene. It can be really dangerous for us girls unfortunately. Not everyone in this world has good intentions or are educated on consent or simply respect. As a super loving and trusting person, it'll certainly be hard for me to learn to be cautious at all times. I just hope I never have to learn the hard way. But I also hope that me and any other girl(s) on campus can at least have each others backs. Almost like an implied girl code-- if you see something suspicious or troubling, speak up.

At the end of the day, every college freshman feels similarly. We're all going through the same thing together! So when in doubt, find another freshman and relate in the excitement and nerves that comes with being a new college student. Odds are, someone else feels the exact same way you do. You're never alone.