During those final months of senior year in high school, all I can remember is everyone moaning and groaning about having to do "busy work" and still being treated like a child. Everyone, including me, could not wait to leave home and venture off into the world alone. The idea of staying up as late as I want, eating whatever and whenever, and hanging out with my friends all the time excited me. What I did not realize; however, is everything else that comes along with college. During my first semester at Mississippi State, all these expectations came true, but were definitely hindered by some things that nobody warned me about.
Walking across campus in the freezing rain, sitting through an hour-long lecture with the flu, and staying up past 3 am studying for an exam are just some of the things nobody warned me about. My first few weeks here were a breeze. I can recall myself telling relatives inquiring about my time here "I love it! College is so much easier than high school." Boy, was I in for a ride. As soon as that first round of exams hit me, it hit me hard. I quickly had to realize that college isn't all about hanging out with friends and going out to parties, but, ultimately, it's about getting a degree.
I would personally say the hardest adjustment from high school life to college life (and I know you've probably heard this a million times) is learning to manage your time. Making time to get groceries and do laundry while still being able to get in some hours at the library sounds easy but it is actually really, really difficult. When you have been able to rely on your parents when you are sick or need a little extra help with a homework assignment, it's really hard to adjust to make sure all of your ducks are in a row.
If you are reading this and you are getting ready to enter college, or even if you are in college right now and you just received your progress report, just know that it's never too late to take a step back and reevaluate your goals. Why are you here? What is your purpose? What can I do to better myself? Just because you make a bad grade on an exam or you accidentally slept through an important lab doesn't mean your academic career, much less your goals, will go down the drain. Just take a few days or a week to yourself and make sure you are doing what you need to do to kick but. And as one of my all-time favorite movies, Finding Nemo, says "Just keep on swimming!"