The Adventure Begins.
About two months ago, I was on the threshold of entering college and I was scared beyond belief. It wasn't because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to keep up or that I would be away from home, but simply because I had no idea what to expect. I’d talked to my college friends about it beforehand, but nothing other than actually going could paint a good enough picture for me of what to expect. I was afraid of the unknown.
No matter what though, I told myself that I couldn't allow the unfamiliarity to throw me off. I had always lived by a set of standards that I kept for myself. I told myself that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible, and I didn't want to lose any of those core principles that I had lived by up until college. My expectation was that no matter what kind of an environment I was in, I just wanted to keep myself focused on the task at hand.
Luckily for me, my transition to college was one of the smoothest things I've ever experienced. It took me a day to get a hold of my bearings and it’s been smooth sailing since then. And part of the reason I believe it’s been so nice is that I didn't forget who I was and where I came from. This sounds extremely melodramatic and if you’re not rolling your eyes by now, I’d be questioning your sanity, but in all honesty, my goals and expectations of being the best that I can be and not shirking my work and not losing an ounce of that forward driving force that I’ve had so far has kept me afloat. I know how easy it is to get distracted in college, what with all the free time and being surrounded by friends (not to mention the subscription to Netflix I just purchased). But I am confident that as long as I always keep in mind this principle, I should be able to weather any of the obstacles I face in the next four years.
Luckily for me, my transition to college was one of the smoothest things I've ever experienced. It took me a day to get a hold of my bearings and it’s been smooth sailing since then. And part of the reason I believe it’s been so nice is that I didn't forget who I was and where I came from. This sounds extremely melodramatic and if you’re not rolling your eyes by now, I’d be questioning your sanity, but in all honesty, my goals and expectations of being the best that I can be and not shirking my work and not losing an ounce of that forward driving force that I’ve had so far has kept me afloat. I know how easy it is to get distracted in college, what with all the free time and being surrounded by friends (not to mention the subscription to Netflix I just purchased). But I am confident that as long as I always keep in mind this principle, I should be able to weather any of the obstacles I face in the next four years.
The first and last time I ever got a haircut at UW. Let me tell you, when you come out of a barbershop with significantly less hair and are already afraid of balding, fantastical notions of "adventure" do wither rapidly.
In fact, the smooth transition into college and this fiery drive have combined in an incredible way. What has surprised me the most this quarter is just how much I love college. Everybody always talks about how college is purportedly far superior to high school, but now that I am here I truly understand how great it is. Beyond just the freedom to do what I want whenever I want, for the first time I really care about academics. It amazes me how I can come home and just work away for hours on end, when before I never cared enough. But in this environment where everyone is so focused and almost everyone seems to love what they’re doing, I've been inspired to work harder than I've ever had to before. Hopefully this new found love doesn't burn out after my first quarter here; I hope that I can always come back to this revelatory moment in the future when I’m bogged down by classwork.
By the end of this year, my expectation is that I keep the fire burning, and if I can keep it burning through all four years of college, all the better. Academics and achievements aside, my greatest desire is to be able to look back and say that the principles that have carried me to the end of my first quarter in college have the capacity to the carry me anywhere, be it the end of college or beyond. I know that college is going to change me (for the better I hope), but if I can hold on to that core morality that I've held onto for so long, then I know that its purpose is justified. I know it seems like a no brainer, hard work and dedication typically result in success, but it goes without saying that we often forget that when faced with a choice between something that is right and something that is easy. If I can look back and be content with what I have accomplished, and know that I have given it my all, then I can leave knowing that I've done right by me and everyone else that helped me get to that point.
(Honors 100 Assignment 5)
By the end of this year, my expectation is that I keep the fire burning, and if I can keep it burning through all four years of college, all the better. Academics and achievements aside, my greatest desire is to be able to look back and say that the principles that have carried me to the end of my first quarter in college have the capacity to the carry me anywhere, be it the end of college or beyond. I know that college is going to change me (for the better I hope), but if I can hold on to that core morality that I've held onto for so long, then I know that its purpose is justified. I know it seems like a no brainer, hard work and dedication typically result in success, but it goes without saying that we often forget that when faced with a choice between something that is right and something that is easy. If I can look back and be content with what I have accomplished, and know that I have given it my all, then I can leave knowing that I've done right by me and everyone else that helped me get to that point.
(Honors 100 Assignment 5)