Wow…the near first half of this school year has flown by so quickly that I haven’t even had time to blink. So far, I have had a great year with everything in my life from the time I have spent with my family, writing articles for the Clarion, and preparing myself for college. I am excited for what the future has in store for me, such as traveling to college, living on campus, and learning new ideas and subjects, but one fear about college has been lingering in my head since winter break.

It all started while watching the Cowboys and Lions game (which ended on a bogus call and the Cowboys or Roger Goodell probably paid off the refs but that’s just my opinion), and I had seen a commercial about the upcoming college football playoffs and just hearing the word “college” for some reason made me think about how my life is going to flip upside down in just a few short months.

Just because of that one word my stomach had sunk into my couch and no matter which school I attend, the thought of being away from my family, and being in an unknown environment, is thrilling but overwhelming and daunting all at the same time.

So, these thoughts that I had were finally back and they were constantly spinning in my head because I’m afraid to accept the reality of my situation. I know I’m not alone or that I’m the only one dealing with this problem. There are millions of other students my age preparing to do the same thing as me.

I feel that there is only one way for me to accept my position is to talk to someone about it. The concept of becoming an adult and being an adult is alarming because I don’t know how to do simple things such as doing my own laundry and I am going to be a legal adult in August. If I’m being honest, are colored clothes supposed to be cleaned with warm or cold water and the same goes with dark colors?

But besides that, learning how to budget my money is something that I never had to learn when I was younger. The idea of money struggles (such as being in debt when I graduate) is petrifying to me because I don’t want to struggle and be worried about paying for my rent, or food, or simple utilities like gas and electricity.

Also, my mental health may take a toll on me and I am very lucky and fortunate that I have never had to deal with depression or anxiety problems throughout my life, especially in an age where men and teenagers are dealing with mental health problems at such a high rate like we have never seen before. I may be overreacting or maybe I am just being rational, I don’t know.

If there is something that I have learned about college, life, and growing up is to take it one step at a time. I was able to come to this conclusion when I would listen to my cousins talk about their problems and issues that they had experienced in their own college experience. You don’t need to look at your problems as a whole, you should break it down into smaller parts to the point where you can take care of them one at a time. Also, take your time and eventually you will be able to overcome your problems as long as you have patience and are willing to push forward to succeed.