Expect the unexpected

Transitioning from high school student to college student presents challenges

College comes with a lot of different choices, decisions and expectations.

I thought college was going to be a breeze because I would be able to do all of my work, go out and have fun without having to worry about what my parents or anyone else would say.

Attending college would allow me to be out on my own and learn what it takes to make my own smart decisions.

Well so far, college is nothing like I expected.

Yes, you get free time and get to do what you want. However, you have to make sure you have good time management to successfully juggle class, homework, work and friends.

I can’t always do what I want because school work and my job comes before going out and having fun. Otherwise, I’d get behind in everything and end up wasting all of the money I spent on school.

Possibly, the hardest thing to grasp about college is being away from home for so long.

I never thought I was the homesick type until I found myself lying in bed almost in tears because I missed my family so much.

College is not exactly what I expected because there are so many things I knew were going to happen, but I was not completely prepared.

I knew I’d have to spend most of my time doing work in order to stay organized and on task, but I didn’t realize how difficult it was to do.

I recommend getting a planner and lots of sticky notes to help stay organized so you can record your homework, work schedule, and basically anything that will keep you from forgetting things and going insane.

One of the most challenging aspects that comes with the college territory is the egregious lack of sleep.

I can never get enough sleep, which makes focusing and staying productive a bigger task; therefore, you must sacrifice some of your personal time to get all of your work done and enough sleep every night.

I know college may seem frightening, but it is definitely something that I have started to enjoy. It is just the next step in becoming a better, well-rounded person.