Transitioning from high school to college is not always the easiest adjustment, but it serves as a major milestone in an individual's life. Living away from home for the first time ever is an experience that has most certainly changed my daily routine, the ways I view certain things, and who I am as a person. Although some things are not exactly the same as they once were, not everything you think would change about me... well... didn't.

Here are five ways my life has remained the same from high school since I started college.

1. I (still) procrastinate like you wouldn't believe

Do you know how teachers in high school will constantly try and tell you it is virtually impossible to procrastinate your assignments in college? Well, they're wrong. I am the literal king of procrastination. I did it in high school, and it unfortunately just didn't end when I got to college. Should I procrastinate? Absolutely not. But am I still going to? Of course! I always get my stuff done and still do well, so why change now? Hehe.

2. My sleep schedule is (still) absolute trash

In high school, I had this issue where I would take intermittent naps throughout the day, wake up between 12 and 3 a.m. to eat and do homework, take a shower, then go back to sleep for an hour before I had to wake up to go to school (and nobody ever said anything about getting to school on time, either). In college, this really hasn't changed much. I still stay up very late doing homework and snack sporadically, and I still manage time to fit in one or five daily naps throughout the day (despite my extremely hectic schedule). Honestly, it is what it is. I'll learn someday.

3. Getting to class on time is (still) a struggle

Yes, with my awful sleep schedule, I'm sure it's not hard to imagine I have trouble getting up in the morning to get to class on time. Luckily, this semester I only have one morning class, but I go to Rutgers. Rutgers has a bus system that turns a 10-minute trip into an hour and 10-minute trip, and driving to your classes will give you one parking citation after the next. So basically, all I can say is that I still am out here struggling. I'm fine, though.

4. My friends (still) hear me complain about all the things I have to get done, but I'm too lazy to do it

Ask any of them. I'll sit in my friend's room as they all diligently do homework, and I'll causally laundry list all of the things I should be doing at that moment as I sit there drinking a Pepsi and eating chicken nuggets. In high school, I would do the same thing as I sat in calc class telling people about the amount of shit I have to accomplish by the time the day has come to an end. Life is truly a struggle. It's fine, though.

5. I (still) bum it to class just about every day

If you know me, you would know that I love shopping and fashion and have way more clothes than I should. But, I never cared about dressing nicely for school, and that still holds true to this day. Who do I have to impress? The girl from my lecture I talk to every day but still have yet to learn her name? I wish I had that type of motivation, but I'm tired.

* * *

I promise college has actually done a lot of good for me, and not all of my bad old habits are haunting me while at school.

Here are five ways college has changed my life since high school.

1. I feel like my life is becoming more stabilized

I don't mean this in the sense that I know my life is optimally pieced together. Quite frankly, I'm beyond scared for what my life will be like upon graduation. Rather, I mean I feel more comfortable in my own skin. I am a much more open person than I was before, and the friends I met here are some of the most important people in my life. I feel safe and supported, and I know everything will be OK.

2. I finally get to take classes that allow me to explore my passions

I never got to do this in high school. I was always forced to take the classes the state required me to take and never really had room for electives that allowed me to discover what I'm passionate about. In college, I get to take classes that allow me to explore those interests, and I'm so excited to keep discovering even more about myself.

3. I'm becoming more cultured

Because Rutgers is such a diverse school filled with so many different kinds of people, I'm learning about people's cultures I was never really exposed to in high school. It's interesting to learn about other people's ways of living and how they grew up. I'm learning that diversity really is what makes the world go 'round (Special shout out to my friends Sindhu and Jarelle!).

4. Every day is some kind of a wild experience in college

High school is kind of the same routine over and over again: Wake up and go to school from 7 in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon, then stay after school to participate in way too many extracurricular activities, go home and do homework, eat, sleep, repeat. In college, scheduling is significantly different. Your classes are only once or twice a week, and you do homework arbitrarily throughout the day whenever you see fit. The biggest difference, though, is college allows more opportunities to socialize. My residence hall POPS at night, and my friends and I have such a good time interacting with one another. I wouldn't change it for the world.

5. I can be me, for me

Nobody is concerned about what you're doing in college. Everyone is too focused on their own lives to be worrying about what you're doing with yours. High school is a much smaller atmosphere, which makes it easier for people to talk about you. I'm no longer worried about what people think about me anymore. I'm living my life to the fullest now. I can breathe. And I can be me for who I am. Genuinely.