“His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy.”

For those that are pretty dedicated rap fans, you may recognize those lyrics as the opening of Eminem’s classic song "Lose Yourself." These lyrics also represented my feelings when I thought about starting college. While going into my first year of college, there was a combination of nervousness and excitement. This was due to not knowing what to expect from college life. I would have all these questions in my head: would I find any people to connect with? Are the professors going to kill my grade if I make one mistake on a paper? What are the extracurricular activities in college like compared to high school? Now that it is summer break, it's a time to reflect and give you some insight on what I expected out of my first year of college and what ended up being the reality.

For me, the beginning of my journey started with attending a summer camp for incoming freshmen called "Camp Matador." I signed up for the camp at very last minute and was able to grab one of the few spots left. This ended up being an unforgettable experience. From zip-lining and swimming, to late night campfires with smores and pickup basketball games, Camp Matador was the best introduction to college one could have asked for.

I met some really cool people that I am happy to call friends now and it made me less nervous about connecting with other freshmen. As much fun as this was, when the school year started it was hard to see many of my friends from camp because our schedules were all different. That was a major letdown. However, this didn't bring my spirits down and I was confident that I'd find at least one person to really "click" with.

That’s exactly what ended up happening. It was a great pleasure meeting one of the smartest, funniest and coolest people someone could have ever hoped for, my amazing friend Melissa. I can wholeheartedly say that without her, my first year of college would not have been as entertaining, interesting or fun at all. In reality, what was expected to be a tricky task ended up being something that happened naturally.

It is best to keep in mind that many people are having a similar thought process so there is no need to feel like, "I'm going to be the only one looking for someone to connect with." Once you build up the courage and go for it, the opportunities to meet people are always there. The worst thing that can happen to you is that you won’t connect with them the way you wanted and you move on. Ultimately, it never hurts to just try. When it came to making friends, it was one task of many that I was faced with when starting college. The next mystery I had to face (which seemed like it could be just as difficult if not more than before) was what to expect from the professors.

When the school year first started, my expectation of professors was for them to be like vampires that were looking to drain the life out of you and your grades. Many of my high school teachers seemed like they all preached a similar narrative: if you can't handle dealing with high school teachers, prepare for torture when you get into college. Now based off of hearing that, not just from one high school but three different ones, there was no other way for me to think of professors in college.

The expectation was there would be no leniency with anything, no communication, everything was a dictatorship and you couldn’t do much to change that. This mentality couldn’t have been further from the truth.

My professors were extremely resourceful and helpful. It is more like a partnership that you are participating in. You get out what you put into it. One of the best pieces of advice that I received during my first year was to engage with your professors as much as you can. Talk to them and let them know you have a vested interest in their class and what you are learning. Many of them want you to succeed and as long as you work at it, they will be there to help you achieve your goals.

That may sound cliché to some people but it is the honest truth. Nothing comes easy so you have to put in the work to really make sure you thrive in whatever classes you take. The best comparison that comes to mind is to think about it like your relationship with your significant other. If you decide not to communicate or put effort into the relationship, it will most likely end pretty quickly. It is exactly the same with your professors. Only difference instead of the relationship ending is you ending up with a possible bad grade and nobody likes that. As much effort as one puts into the school aspect of college life, you can't forget to give yourself some time to have fun as well.

Beyond the classroom, there are many extracurricular activities that are available to college students. It’s a good idea to get involved so you don’t feel like your just going to class and in your books 24/7. Probably the biggest mistake I made my first year was not getting involved in much as I should have. The same routine of going to class and going home got tiring and it just felt like my freshman year of high school all over again. I was expecting it to be a lot different but some factors that went into that were out of my control so there wasn’t much that could be done. There were some clubs I considered joining and I even considered being in a fraternity. Knowing this year that time couldn't be properly dedicated to either one, both were avoided.

For those reading this and are seniors in high school getting ready to tackle all college has to offer, do not repeat my mistake. Getting involved in some extra curricular activities outside of class will open up many doors for you and let you make connections with people you wouldn’t have made otherwise.

Overall, my first year of college was filled with many great experiences and triumphs that I am going to keep with me for the rest of my college career. Going into college with some preconceived notions that ended up being incorrect taught me a valuable lesson. As long as one keeps an open mind, there isn’t anything that can’t be accomplished.