My journey of starting college took me a while. My senior year of high school I applied and got accepted to IU Bloomington. I was planning to go but decided last minute to take a gap year, I really didn't Know what I wanted to. During my gap year I worked and saved up my money. I reapplied to IU Bloomington as well as applying to IUPUI. I got accepted into both but ultimately decided on IUPUI. I still didn't know what I wanted to do and debated on taking another year to try and figure it out, but I made the choice to begin college and find myself along the way. Orientation and Bridge were both fine, but for me I feel like they weren't really designed for people who are undecided about their major. It felt discouraging because it seemed like everyone else had a plan and I was just existing. Through this semester I have learned that I shouldn't be ashamed that I haven't figured out what I want to do yet, it's better for me to explore and find something I really want to do instead of rushing myself. This semester has also solidified my love for being creative. In both my painting and computer science classes, I have been able to make paintings and webpages that reflect my style and have enjoyed it a lot. Even though I still don't know what I want to do, I have learned that it should probably have some creative elements to it.

​

In high school I struggled with motivation and was a chronic procrastinator, it was my biggest weakness. As my first semester of college is coming to a close, I am happy to say that procrastination is not an issue for me anymore. I have realized that the more work I get done early, the less I will have to do later. I have also begun to use my time more wisely. Instead of spending time on my phone, I try to get a couple assignments done. I have especially noticed this in computer science, there are a lot of times where I spend a couple hours working on assignments and I am able to get a week or two ahead in the class. Of course there are still areas I need to improve in. My biggest weakness is my shyness, I am a very introverted person and have always struggled in putting myself out there. Since I live off campus (about 45 minutes away), it has been hard for me to interact with my peers. As soon as classes have ended I start driving home to try and beat traffic. Because of those factors, I feel like I haven't made many meaningful connections. Going into the next semester, I am going to try and improve on this.

​

One big lesson that I learned this semester is to not compare myself to others. Everyone is on their own journey, my path doesn't have to look the same as everyone else's. Comparing myself has been the source of the majority of my stress and anxiety throughout my life. As long as I am doing the best I can, there is no need for me to worry about what everyone else is doing. Moving forward I am going to keep this in mind because it has brought me a lot of peace. For next semester I would like to give myself the advice to branch out more! Explore opportunities, talk to new people, try new things. College isn't only a place to learn and get a degree, its also a place to make memories and discover yourself. I know that if I take that advice, my next semester will be even better.

​

​