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Going off to college always seemed like a day I would never reach. Childhood has had such a grip on me that college seemed like a fantasy I would come to explore in another life. As each day flies by, I’m starting to realize my preconceived notion of this event was not so far off from reality. I truly feel as though I’m leaving childhood and entering a new and foreign life, one I couldn’t be more ecstatic to jump into and live every day with newfound purpose. With move-in day approaching faster than ever, my excitement for making new and meaningful connections, diving into my career of engineering, and learning more about myself grows every day.

Coming from a family of extraverts, it was no surprise to my parents of how social a kid I was and still am. I find that one of the things I enjoy most in life is meeting someone new and making a connection. Community is something I deem vital for a human, and something I always try to invoke for myself or for others. High school was a pretty big lake for a teen to navigate, but I’ve always been longing for a bigger sea of people, new unknown people. That's why I’m so excited for college and the new people I will meet. I’ve always heard that many meet their closest friends in college and I’m so ready to see what individuals college will offer me. I also know that with meeting new people comes a lot of new knowledge and wisdom. Everyone has something to teach and offer, whether it be a talent, culture, background, or many other lessons to be learned. I know that meeting new people will further spread my horizons and make me a more well-rounded person. I’m ready to see what others have to offer me, and what I can offer to other people.

Another reason I’m counting the days till move-in day is because I’m ready to get academically focused and dial into my future career. I’ve known from a young age that I wanted to be an engineer because of my passion for fixing problems,my knack for math, and just learning in general. However, I never realized just how vast engineering really is. Although I know I want to be an engineer, it seems as though there are countless types of engineering and an endless amount of positions within those fields. That’s why I’ve opted to go into my freshmen year as an undeclared engineer, meaning one of my classes in the first semester would help me get acquainted with the different fields of engineering and help me decide what would be a good fit. I’m really enthusiastic to filter out some engineering paths I know I don’t like, and focus on some that I could see myself working for as a career. I also plan on minoring in Spanish which I’m very excited to pick up after taking it for four years followed by a year off due to a jam-packed senior year schedule. That year off has been detrimental to my fluency in Spanish and I am no longer able to communicate with my Hispanic family as I was able to once before. I’m looking forward to relearning Spanish to bridge the language barrier between me and my family, as well as set myself for more opportunities in my future workforce.

One more reason I can’t wait until I get to college is because I crave the freedom and independence I believe I need to grow and learn about myself. Although I am no stranger to these things now as a high school graduate or even throughout my highschool years, the freedom and independence I’ll experience during the next four years of my life will be way more pure and true. I think the moments of independence in college will help give me clarity and see further into who I am as a person; I will realize what I like and dislike, what I like to do in my free time, what qualities I want to present as a person and what qualities I look for in a friend. I also know that freedom and independence will throw me my fair share of problems and adversity which will force me to grow. I’m truly excited to see what college will throw at me and what I am going to do about it. I know it’s gonna make me such a stronger and smarter person, one I can’t wait to meet.

This summer break has been a great recess from the hustle and bustle of reality as well as a time to reflect on the past four years of high school and revel in my accomplishments. Although there are times I wish it would last forever, it’s overcome by overwhelming excitement for the next four years of my life spent in college. I can’t wait to meet new friends, get back to my education, and grow as a person. I’m ready to grow up and be a part of something bigger.