The next 4 years...

I grew up with less expectations and influences than a lot of my friends. While my peers grew up with strict rules and forced extracurriculars, I for the most part had the freedom to do what I liked (except swimming). As a result, I was pretty independent for my age, and although everyone might be on the same page now, there comes another opportunity to change: College.

 As near graduates from high school, I think we can all agree that the shift to college (or other paths) is one of the largest shifts in our lives. We move into a period of more freedom yet more responsibilities and more individuality. In high school, I am influenced externally by my friend group, parents, and teachers at school. Internally I am influenced by many of the same people but indirectly, such as competition and expectations. In college, these will all have less of an effect. There won't be large influences, but I hope to mature into the "real world" smoothly. As a college student, I'll be forced to be more accountable for my own actions and consequences. I think the degree of freedom will be hard to handle at first, as there is no one requiring you to attend school, or do chores, or anything for that matter. I think many of the changes will be intuitive and will just be learned along the way. Up to college, life feels like riding on a train; there is a fixed path and you can't deviate much from it. Yet in college, the freedom allows for potential good and bad things to occur, and the process of maturing never ends. Though I can't really picture where I'll be a few years down the line, I hope to grow into a better person academically, physically, socially, and morally.