I have been asked “Do you miss high school?” a lot lately, and I always respond the same way. No, I do not miss high school. This is because high school was the end to an old journey and the beginning of a new one. I had been ready to graduate high school for a long time because I just wasn’t enjoying myself there anymore. Sure, I was valedictorian, class president, and volleyball captain. But, that’s all I was to people. I wanted the opportunity to have a fresh slate. So, that’s why I went to an out of state school, where none of my classmates went — the University of Kentucky.

I am so glad that I am done with high school. College has opened my eyes to the world around me. Yes, you still have tests and projects just like you do in high school. But, it’s a completely different education. In college, you get to choose what you want to take in a semester, rather than being forced to sit through that one class that makes you fall asleep every time. Also, I just love how I haven’t met every single person on campus yet. In high school, I knew everyone. I knew when someone new came into my graduating class and introduced myself to them. However, in college, I do not see the same people every day, and I love that.

Seeing new people every day makes you finally realize that college is a big place and that you have finally been immersed into the real world. I have made so many friends and have had so many opportunities to join clubs in my first semester of college. I have had more opportunities to get involved in my first semester of college than my entire high school experience. Finally, I have met so many amazing people in my first semester of college, and I have been pushed out of my comfort zone multiple times--which high school failed to do. I am very proud of myself. I’m very glad I am finally in college.