Being from a town where you know everyone’s parents and everyone’s parents know you was the norm. Knowing all your teachers and their life stories was just a thing. Being close with everyone in your grade was something that would happen — even in high school. Nothing was really a secret. Since everyone was close, people knew everyone's home life.

But, that all changes once you hit college. College is way different from high school. You might not know all your professors and their life stories. You may not know everyone in your class and chances are, you don’t know all their parents and their parents do not know you. It is another world out there.

You don’t have your parents there to make sure you go to class, tell you when to eat, and tell you to join clubs and organizations. That must be done all by you. Personally, I do not have an issue with any of it because school in college comes first every time. Whether you’re in a club or organization, they will tell you too, you are here for school. That is a phrase you will hear throughout your college year as a freshman. It is true. You came to college to get a degree. You came to learn more. That doesn’t mean you’ll always have to miss out on the fun activities or anything, as long as you get your stuff done.

Growing up in a small town, you knew where everything was, and you had connections to help guide you through things; while in college, you must find connections all on your own. If you need to get a tutor, you’ll need to find one on your own. You’ll have to find where you study best. You'll have to find your place, unlike in high school you already knew your place the past four years.

Everything that used to be either spoon fed to you, or you just grew up knowing, is gone. It is all on you on what you want to do and how you want your college experience to go. Now there are people to guide you, but as a small town girl, it might feel a little weird going out of your way to find help. To find people in classes to be you buddy for the semester. It is just something you never really think about or are used to when you grew up in a small town.

But the help is definitely worth it. Whether it Is a meeting with your academic advisor or talking to your professors, it is worth it. It is one of the weirdest feelings having 130 students in your class, to now having over 1000. It is a big change because there are so many people to meet, but just like high school, you only have four years.

As they said in high school, make the most of it because it goes by fast.