DONE. First semester of college is finally over! I never thought that I would get into college; so finishing the first semester is such an incredible accomplishment. I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am to have so many opportunities. The thought that I am in college still blows my mind, which is why my New Year’s resolution is to appreciate everything that’s around me. Last semester was one of the toughest times that I have ever experienced. The transition from an urban public high school to a private liberal arts college was and will continue to be one of the most difficult experiences that I will ever have to face. Although I am still struggling to adjust to the life here in college I can say that it gets easier. Slowly, I am coming to terms with the responsibility and effort that comes with growing up and being in college. There may be a lot of independence, but that just means that just means that you have to schedule your time to plan events or attend meetings that you have committed to. Being a child at heart, this was one of my lowest points last semester. I didn’t accept the fact that I was slowly growing up and that I had responsibilities, which made it even more difficult to adjust to the college culture. Furthermore, the majority of my time and energy was devoted to trying to understand Williams and its student body. As a result, I did not focus enough on my academics.
As another New Year’s resolution I will put in more effort into learning and classes. Last semester, I didn’t attend many of my professor’s office hours, and even if I did I was hesitant to speak out and ask questions. For this upcoming semester, I will be on top of my grind. There are so many resources on campus that I could have taken advantage of, like tutoring, and TA sessions. However, I did not take advantage of these helpful opportunities. Instead, I tried to deal with classes, readings, and papers all on my own. Never do this. When you need help, definitely ask for it, whether it is from a friend, a professor, or your roommate. College oftentimes is a high-pressure environment, and to have support is a great feeling. In the spring, I will take my classes a lot more seriously and not be distracted by trying to adjust to college life. Personally, I’ve learned that everyone tries to adjust to the transition from high school to college. Whether it is an extreme transition or a minor one, there is still a lot of getting used to. However, sitting here right now, I’ve accepted that adjusting is hard. But that doesn’t mean that I will let it get to me. Instead, I will learn to deal with it and focus on my academics so that I can be a success for the rest of my college career.