| Summer vacation is coming to an end and the first day of college is already knocking at the corner of my consciousness. With it comes a shroud of fear, dread and uncertainty that clouds my thoughts with an inescapable anxiety. Many unknowns come to mind when I picture the campus map, with all its offices and classrooms, facilities and sports fields, opportunities and distractions. To help ease my entry into the coming freshman year, I have attended several college programs in a bid to expose myself to the environment, including a summer institute and a volunteering orientation program. Yet, despite all this, I still struggle to brace myself for college’s most notorious aspect: independence. As the days count down, I began to question my very potential to be responsible, focused and determined in what many of my fellow college freshman foresee to be a very chaotic and turbulent time. The first days of the fall semester will no doubt be uncomfortable and distressing, surrounded by new students, new teachers, new learning styles, new liberties and new dangers, all of which can derail anyone from their intended academic goals.
As uncomfortable as it sounds, I still owe it to myself to rise to the occasion, strive for success and most importantly to embrace the coming future. College, no matter how frightening it may sound or even be, is just another coming of age trial on the long road of life. As college students, what ever hand was used to lead us and guild us from our freshman orientation to senior graduation has been retracted. Teachers, counselors and especially parents can be expected to provide us with less personal attention than before. Today, as a young adult, I am prepared to not only face my anxieties of the approaching fall semester, but also to go beyond the goals I have established, both academically and athletically. College isn’t just classes and courses but also clubs, programs, and events that really can help someone standout if they plan to transfer into the University of California system. Until then, my plan is to put my right foot forward, network with my peers, and dive into my studies with confidence and distinction. |
