When I was in high school, I never really understood why people got so excited when I told them I was going to college. They would tell me that I wasn’t going to be prepared for what a difference college was. They said, “college is hard but it’s the best time of your life.” I admired their thoughtfulness, but never took the advice to heart.  

I figured that college couldn’t be worse than some of the things I went through in high school. It was hard to see anything else outside of where I was standing.  I thought that I could only see what life had to offer in the town I lived in. The people who offered their advice had painted a picture of what college was supposed to be like with a broad-brush stroke.  Yes, I have come to find that college is hard, but it is a whole new level of hard. From a high school perspective, the definition of hard was having two tests on the same day as a game.  

Now, the definition of hard is figuring out that you have two tests on different sides of campus right after each other, work that you must get done for a club that you’re in, a meeting that you must go to and a 5-page paper that needs to be finished. All of this in one day.  College is a great balancing act. Knowing what your priorities are can make or break you. Personally, my school work comes before extra activities. Having the ability to prioritize is important for when you get busy. 

Knowing what needs to get done first can help alleviate the stress that comes with being an active college student.  Something that I have learned through experience is that work piles on fast. Get assignments done when they are assigned, not right before they are due.  

College is also a great time, like my advice givers said, but sometimes there is a little chaos before you realize that you can appreciate where you have ended up. Compared to the first day of college to now, I would have never guessed that I would be involved in the things that I am or have gotten close to the people that I have.  I believe that things happen for a reason but thank goodness I prioritized.  

Karena Ozier is a freshman elementary education major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at kmozier@eiu.edu.