When I realized in May that I was already halfway done with my college education, I couldn't believe it. Where did all the years go? When you're busy with work and classes, time really can fly. It turns out that old saying really is true: time flies when you're having fun. And college is a weird type of fun when you're starting out. You don't even realize you're having fun at times between the initial shock of living alone for the first time, trying to learn to be an adult and stressing about classes, exams and finals. But in between all that stress, it is so much fun: you're making new friends, having new experiences, learning new things, and learning to embrace the freedom of being an adult.

I finally feel like I've settled into life at college; I'm (somewhat) used to living on my own, learning to make my own food (rather unsuccessfully), and being fully responsible for my academic performance. I won't be so self-confident as to say that I have it mastered yet- in fact, from what I can tell very few people are as successful at "adulting" as it seemed when I was young- but I definitely think I've made improvements through my last 2 years of college.

Now, this August, as I am gearing up to start my junior year, I am nothing but excited to see where this year takes me. I'm ready to learn new things (hopefully more related to my major and/or chosen career now that I've finally finished my Core classes), grow more as a person, and have new adventures. But junior year is bound to have its own set of challenges, too. It's time to start studying for the LSAT, another round of "college visits" as I start looking at law schools, more difficult high-level classes, more independent living in an apartment… the list goes on and on.

But challenges, and overcoming them, are what make college such a unique experience. People say that after college we enter "the real world." A lot of us think that college is its own little island, "The Butler Bubble," where we aren't exposed to what life is going to be like after graduation. But I don't think that's true. Life starts when we decide to start to take responsibility for it, make our own choices, and have an impact on the world around us.

And we can choose to do that at any time; in fact, college is a great time to do it. We can volunteer, make a bigger impact on our school and global community, and grow independently as a person and student. It begins the second we step out that door at 18 to live a life apart from the childhood we had before college. As we grow through time at college away from childhood friends and family, it's important to remember both where we come from and where we're going. This brief time in the journey of life is indeed a period of transition for us as we evolve into adults. As I start my junior year- the halfway point of this time of change and growth- I hope to continue to become into someone who not only embraces both challenges and successes but continues to benefit and grow from both of them as well.