Going to school is so difficult after a summer of sun and fun, but there has to be some upside.... Right? Well, it's a bit hard to find it your first week--you're trying to figure your classes and schedules out, you forget an alarm, you're homesick, and the list goes on and on.

Being in college is a privilege in and of itself, but it gets really tough if you're close to your family like I am. I had major first week blues last year once the adrenaline wore off, and it didn't help that I was missing everyone I knew. I missed my family, my friends, the other families I had become a part of... I didn't know how to cope with anything, so I clung to the person I knew best (sorry, J). This year, I already knew what to expect, so my first week blues consist of mourning the now-apparent simplicity of my freshman year. Classes get harder each year, and I didn't have a job to budget my time around.

This year, I'm focusing on the "adulting" aspect--balancing classes with a job, grocery shopping for my own apartment, cooking my own food, and doing my best to get the grades I need to get into my nursing program. What I've learned in the past is to make a list (and I'm actually doing it this year, much to my mother's disbelief) of all the tasks you need to complete each day. Be conscious of the goal--getting to the weekend so you have time to catch up on sleep and get chunks of studying done.

The first week blues are just that -- a period of time when you realize summer is over and you hit the ground running, and you're overwhelmed by everything. I love the feeling once you settle in, and that doesn't take long once you realize the independence you're starting to gain. Enjoy the level of freedom you gain, but remember that adulthood does not equate complete freedom. Be very aware that your choices affect your future--and don't go nuts at first. You'll run into trouble that way.