You're on your own

This is most likely the first time you have lived on your own. This means you are burdened with responsibility, which, if you were unaware, is defined as the "opportunity or ability to act independently and make decisions without authorization."

This means your mom, or nanny, will not be there to wash your clothes, clean your side of the room (or your roommate's for that matter) or instill a nightly curfew. This also means that it is essential to formulate wise choices on your own, with a willingness to learn if you end up making a mistake.

I myself was a transfer student. Coming to USD was a confusing transitional period in my life. Although I transferred with three of my best friends from my previous school, I still felt like it was impossible to make new friends. However, I didn't exactly put myself out there in the beginning. I was extremely wallflower-ish when it came to people extending their interest in conversing with me. I felt like I had nothing in common with these people who had spent the last few years in the dorms together.

The friends I transferred with joined a fraternity, but this was something that did not appeal to my interests. Not to say fraternities are lame or anything. I actually benefited from my friends' joining and gained friends within their social circle. However, I felt I needed to be involved elsewhere.

A lovely lady friend of mine suggested I apply for a position at The Vista. At first I was unsure that this was something I could handle. It seemed like a lot of responsibility, and that was something I had not had much experience with in my short lifespan. However, I put my fears aside and ceased the opportunity head-on.

As you can probably tell by now, I got the job of Arts & Culture Editor. Because of my involvement in The Vista, I have befriended many people who share the same interest as me, which is writing. It is important to surround yourself with like-minded people. This allows us to feed off other experiences our fellow scholars have encountered.

However, that is not to say other people don't have anything to offer. Listening to other perspectives and giving people the recognition the deserve for their ideas is an important concept. Just because you might not agree with something, does not mean that you cannot learn a lesson from their teaching. Everyone deserves a few chances. First impressions aren't everything. If this were so, I would not have my best friend.

A couple years back we were doing icebreakers on the first day of class. Everyone was introducing themselves and saying what they want to do and why they have these goals. Then this girl with a lip ring starts talking about how she wants to start her own magazine. It wouldn't have been that big of a deal if the majority of the class hadn't said they want to go to graduate school yet they were still undecided on their major. I was quite intimidated and basically thought of her as a too cool for school type of person.

Despite my assumptions, I ran into her one night and we got to talking. I realized she was a down to earth person with her priorities in line. She definitely did not give off the "I think I'm better than you" vibe anymore. It is always inspiring to be in the presence of motivated minds. It builds a burning desire inside the pit of your stomach to work hard toward your goals and set the bar higher for yourself with the input of your peers.

Anyways, what I am trying to stress here is the importance of being focused and working toward something besides graduation. Anyone can graduate college these days but not everyone will succeed if they were not involved in something. Mommy is not here to tell you to get out there and join an organization. It's your decision whether or not you want gain some experience. So go be experienced.

In conclusion I would just like to say that just because mother cannot ground you anymore does not make it a great idea to stay out until 4 a.m. when class starts four hours later. Despite the myths surrounding college party life, not everyone parties from dusk till dawn, only those who prefer to fail their classes, and their lives.