   When first starting here at LMU, I was extremely nervous and a little apprehensive for what was to come. At first, the transition wasn’t super easy. For a while I felt like I wasn’t making enough friends and should’ve been doing more, yet in retrospect, all of my close friends now felt the exact same way at first. Once I started going to more residence hall activities and once I joined HerCampus, I was able to meet more like minded people who shared my interests..
   As for academics, I think the largest change for me was actually how much I had to prioritize my academics for it to get done. I didn’t realize how easy it would be in college to forget about homework and hang out with friends since they are always so close, either a few residence halls away or straight across the hall. Because most of my friends in high school lived a good ways away from me, when I came home from classes it was a lot easier to just sit down and focus. But, due to having a planner and being diligent on having study dates with my friends, it was a pretty successful semester academically.
   Another thing that I was surprised by when entering into college is how easily I transitioned from living at home all my life. So far I think I’ve done a good job at keeping my life as organized as possible. I’ve also been way more on top of health and fitness. Probably because I was a little scared of the freshman fifteen originally, I know what to eat at the lair thats semi healthy and have been working out everyday. All in all, I think I’ve actually lost weight in college rather than gain it. Â
   Overall, my first semester of college was an eye opening and very maturing experience. I met new people, made valuable relationships and grew academically. I’m so excited for what’s to come and for what life has in store for me.
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