Ever since I was in elementary school, I was always the "overachieving" type. I made distinguished honor roll every marking period, was well-respected by my teachers and peers, received many scholastic awards, and was very involved with school organizations and extracurriculars. My priorities were as such: My family, my grades, my friends, my dogs, and then everything else. Yeah, I was one of those kids…

I put everything into my education and thankfully, it paid off. In high school, I took every single Advanced Placement class my school offered, quit all of the sports I used to be involved with, avoided any distractions (boys), and dedicated myself to school. The moment my name was pronounced as Valedictorian in front of all of my loved ones, classmates, friends, and teachers, I realized that all of the blood, sweat, and tears were worth it. However, as human beings, we can only take so much. We are imperfect and have limits. We may not realize that the pressure we place on ourselves, whether we are conscious of it or not, is eating us alive. We desire to be something we can never be – perfect.

Entering college, I hoped to be someone different – someone that doesn’t worry about the next exam before the first one is even over, someone that doesn’t think about what class they’re dropping before the semester even begins because they’re worried that they can’t handle the work load, someone that doesn’t freak out if they get a test score any less than an A. Unfortunately, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. As much as I wanted to change and live my college years to their fullest potential without worrying about grades (employers don’t look at grades anyway, right?), I can’t change who I am. I will always be that girl who expects much more from herself than just “getting by.” Since I can’t change who I am, I’ve chosen to adapt. People have always told me, “Enjoy your college years while you can. Those will be the best days of your life.” My college experience has been nothing less than constant stress and struggle, so how could I possibly agree with these people?

I found people that fill my college years with lots of laughter, fun, joy, and love.

These are the people I can come home to after a long day of classes and vent to, cry to, laugh with (or at), eat with, and just sit in silence with to enjoy each other's company. They are my biggest supporters, personal fitness coaches, and go-to’s for advice. They challenge me to take risks, break out of my comfort zone, and try new things. They were once strangers, but now they are people I could never live without. They are my family.

I have the most supportive mom and brother in the world.

They are my personal cheerleaders, my biggest motivators, and the reason I keep going. They listen to me go on and on over the phone about my classes, my friends, my professors, my life. They offer advice when I ask (and sometimes when I don’t) and they remind me that everything’s going to be okay even when I’m not so sure.

Distance hasn’t come between the friendships I’ve created in high school.

In fact, our friendships grew stronger since we’ve all begun our college journeys. We’ve come to the realization that we all have busy lives and have met new friends, but we know the bonds that we have created are unbreakable. These are the people that I have told literally everything to, but they love me anyway. They’re the ones I run to the second I get home from school, the ones I miss 24/7 while being away at school, and the ones that drive over two hours every once in awhile to come see me. They have been with me through thick and thin, and for that, I owe them the world.

I get to try new things and explore new places.

Trying new restaurants, buying tickets for a campus performance, going to a political rally, joining new clubs, attending new group fitness classes, and visiting local botanical gardens are all at the palm of my hands. I might even meet a few new people along the way...

I get to look forward to long summer and winter breaks.

A four month summer vacation, spring and fall breaks, and a five-week winter break always give me something to look forward to. I get to enjoy the holidays without the stress of doing school work or having to go back the day after New Year's. That means more time to bake and eat Christmas cookies, take day trips to Philly to see the light shows, spend time with my family and friends, and spend those new gift cards I just received. In the summer months, I can take time off from work to go to the beach with my friends and not feel bad about it because I know I have 3 and a half more months to make money. Spring break means tropical vacation to recuperate from the first half of the semester, and fall break means Hocus Pocus and pumpkin lattes all day, everyday.

I get to experience the freedoms and independence of living away from home.

I have a much deeper appreciation for my dogs greeting me at the door, eating my mom's home-cooked spare ribs, spending an evening at Dunkin Donuts to play card games with my friends, and going to the mall with my brother. I've learned not to take these things for granted.

I am gaining more knowledge than I ever imagined possible.

I am currently walking on the path to success. College graduation is the only thing separating me from impacting the lives of many people through my work in the public health field. I do sometimes get lost on this path or I might take the wrong turn, but I always seem to make it back on track. Regardless of how bumpy it is at times, I know that every road eventually comes to an end, and at the end is a very bright future. I have my entire life ahead of me with a LOT to look forward to. College is just the beginning.