College is a pivotal point for most young adult's lives, aside from going into the military, or straight into the work force. For most, it is the first chance at being away from home, and having freedom. For those who attend military schools, it's a chance to learn discipline and order, along with confidence. However, there are a few things in college and other institutions that students learn their first year, and carry with them for the rest of their lives.

I am in control of what I want to do with my life.

For the first time, my parents won't be able to try to influence what I learn about and where I learn about it. I pick my classes. I pick my extracurriculars. I pick my curfews, friends, meals and how I want my room to look. For the first time, everything is in your hands, and as you get older, you'll carry on more responsibilities. It may seem overwhelming at first, but crawl, walk and run your way there. You get to decide what job I want to aim for. You get to decide who you want to date and see. Having control of your entire day is daunting at first, but eventually a schedule will form and it will comfortable.

Knowing what I want is a good thing, not knowing what I want is better.

My freshman year of college, I changed my major three times. From international studies, to physics, to communications. I've researched and dreamt of countless jobs, only to wake up one morning and decide I'm not interested. Knowing what you want to do in life is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because you can feel sure of yourself and be put together over it, however, the pressure in having an exact plan of how your life is supposed to go can be extremely restraining. You run the risk of not allowing yourself to grow, and to learn about yourself and the world around you. Not knowing what you want to study allows you the opportunity to learn more about different subjects that you may not necessarily be interested in, but at least you've expanded your knowledge on it.

I am capable of taking care of myself.

I never liked calling the doctor, or going grocery shopping. Cleaning my room was a chore and staying on top of grades in high school was hard due to my own disorganization. Once I arrived to college, being in so much control made me realize how much I had to lose and how easily I could lose it. I had to build a schedule for laundry, shopping, and homework, on top of clubs, classes and events related to the Corps of Cadets where I go to school. I doubted myself and my organization and felt like I could never get a handle of it all, when one day, I simply did. I managed the whole day with no meltdowns, or forgetting anything. For once, I really feel like I "adulted" my way through the day. And as time goes on, that feeling will become more normal. I am able to take myself to the doctor to be seen, and I am able to shop for myself in the grocery store.

I am capable of taking care of others.

For the first time, I am responsible for other people's well beings as their friend. I have a whole other family to worry about and to love. I am responsible for how I make them feel, more so because I live with them. Not only that, I am responsible for maintaining different forms of relationships over distances. I can maintain a romantic relationship over 5200 miles, and having a best friend 1,200 miles away.

Being in college has taught me how to balance everything that I do, and to understand the cause and effect of what I do. I'm grateful for the opportunities to learn and make mistakes in school, for this is the time with smaller repercussions when I do mess up. College may not be for all, but it was definitely for me.