Growing up
Growing up, I would remember my parents telling me that in order to have a successful life, a college education was a must. Both of my parents attended college and became the first in their family to graduate. Fortunately, I’m glad to have them on them on this journey as I navigate college life.
College life is a tremendous jump for anyone who decides to take it and not everyone who attends comes in with the same expectations. Being a Northern Illinois University student, I have high hope and expectations for myself. While I would like to have a lot of fun socially, at the same time I know it’s just as important to succeed academically. I believe NIU is an excellent place for me to grow as an individual. I think being able to commute will help me translation better without having to feel homesick at any moment, knowing that I have a strong support system waiting for me back home.
Socially, I want to meet new people. I’m eager in meeting other individuals and learning a little about themselves such as – where they come from, what live is like in their part of the country, why they too choose NIU. I think it’s interesting to get to know people who grew up from a totally different culture/background than myself. Being from Sycamore High School, I already know a few friends on campus and that will make the transition even a bit more comfortable.
When it comes to academics, I know I’ll be challenged a bunch specially with CSCI 240 and MATH 206. I know the content and workload will be much tougher than most of my classes in high school. Despite this fact, I feel confident in taking on this challenge and plan to push myself to the fullest of my potential in achieving excellence. I’m often warned students who tend to get behind in college to not be afraid in asking for help when needed, so I plan to use all my resources whenever I’m in need of some assistance.
Entering NIU, I knew it would be a time for self-discovery and facing different trials and tribulations. My impression of my first week at NIU is that there are a few differences that I realized that are different in high school. Such as the sizes of the classes, more responsibilities put onto you, and more freedom, such as leaving class or campus without a hall pass required.
