Bridging the gap between high school and college can be incredibly difficult. A newfound sense of freedom enthralls even the most cautious teenagers. With this newfound sense of freedom comes a new sense of responsibility. Going off to college is a right of passage that excites the students and equally scares the parents. In order to afford any kind of secondary education most students work over the summer to save up money. In my case, all through high school, I had planned to attend a four-year university right after high school. I always figured that with my involvement in honor societies and my grades that I would have no problem finding a good affordable college. So with that in mind, I applied to eight colleges and was accepted to all of them. I was over the moon, I thought I had done so much work and it was all going to pay off. That excitement was short-lived. I was bitterly disappointed to see my financial aid letters from all eight of those schools; I couldn’t afford a single one. So that left me with two options: either I put myself into thousands of dollars in debt at nineteen years old, or I go to Waubonsee Community College. The idea of attending Waubonsee had never crossed my mind. I figured it was not something I would have to do. Looking back on it, I am so glad that I did. During my time at Waubonsee I was able to find a new job at Walgreens. Three months into that new job I was promoted to Pharmacy Technician. All during this time I went to school full time. I ended my first year at Waubonsee with a 4.0 GPA, and had landed a perfect job. Then sophomore year happened. Going into my sophomore year I felt a bit lost, even with all my success I didn’t know who I was. A sense of complacency took over everything I did. I found myself become bored in the classroom. I found myself losing interest in my job, and I found myself slowly self-destructing. I’m a very competitive person, in everything I do. Striving to be the best that I can be is what motivates me every single day. During sophomore year, I had lost that fire and that passion. I simply did not care anymore. I am a Waubonsee graduate now and I am attending North Central College in the fall of 2016. I have learned so much about myself during my sophomore year, and for that I am grateful. I have a lot to do and to improve on, but most importantly I have found myself again. I think at some point, to some degree, we all go through this phase. Finding the balance between working, studying, and socializing is a tightrope. Everything in life is about balance, and finding balance among those three things is crucial to success. The trials and tribulations, of the young college student, are not that different of from our older brothers and sisters or even our parents. However, I find it reassuring that we’re all in this together and I want nothing more than for everyone, myself included, succeeding.