First semester of college can either be rough or incredibly easy. I have found that I've had both rough patches and smooth patches during my first semester and I know my journey is only going to get harder. I am a pre-nursing major hoping to apply to Radford University's Nursing Program a semester early. This means I try to put in a lot more work than some of my peers. I just hate when said peers down me for trying to better myself now so I can afford to play later.

It's no secret that Radford has a reputation for being a bit of a party school and I will admit I have gone to quite a few parties since I've been here, but I'm not afraid to tell people I can't go out because I have work to do for a class. I typically like to finish things ahead of time in order to give myself time to sleep and have fun, which means weeknights are for the books and I will do assignments between classes to avoid staying up late. I spend roughly around 3-4 extra hours a day working on assignments, and at least an hour just studying material. If I want to be able to make my weekends my own then I pay the price during the week.

Some might say my methods are dramatic and that I shouldn't be as worried about my grades my first semester of college. Those people are preaching to a girl who busted her butt in high school because she knew she was going to be busting her butt in college. I hold myself to a high standard because I have programs and scholarships to uphold that require a high GPA. Don't tell me my grades don't matter because they do to me at least.

Another reason I hate when people tell me I should be partying instead of doing work is that I know in the back of my mind when I'm 21 buying my own house and getting married to the man of my dreams, I won't have to worry about getting a job or where the money is going to come from to pay off my loans and bills because I'll have it. You pay now and you play later. I can enjoy my twenties and thirties while some of my peers might have to add an extra year to their college experience or have difficulty searching for a job because they didn't fully apply themselves in school.

While I commend those that can have fun and get their work and studying done, I am not one of those people and will not pretend to be one of those people. I enjoy spending my nights being productive and making significant strides in my education as well as working to make sure my future is bright.