When I look back at my first semester at Longwood, it honestly feels like a lot happened in such a short amount of time. There were moments where I felt really confident and like I was getting the hang of everything, and other moments where I was stressed and trying to keep myself together. But overall, I can definitely say this semester taught me a lot about myself and how I handle being in a new place.

What went good was how comfortable I eventually got on campus and in my classes. At first, I felt a little unsure about everything, but over time I started to understand my routine, what my professors expected, and how to keep up with the workload without losing myself in the process. I also got better at speaking up when I needed help or when something did not make sense, and that honestly helped way more than I thought it would.

But not everything went perfectly. My stress levels were probably the worst part. I let myself get overwhelmed pretty easily, and sometimes I waited too long to start things, which only made it worse. Balancing school, my personal life, and just the adjustment of being in college was not easy. I know some of the pressure I felt came from me trying to handle everything on my own instead of using the resources around me.

Moving forward, I want to do better with my time and actually stick to what I plan instead of pushing things off. I also want to be more patient with myself when things get heavy, because I tend to spiral fast. And honestly, I want to use more of what Longwood offers, whether that is academic help or just taking breaks when I need them.

Even with the ups and downs, I’m proud of myself for getting through my first semester and learning from it.

Angel.