I started my college career in the fall of 2014 and as I am an uprising senior, I realize that things have definitely changed. Coming in to my number one school as a naive little freshmen, I already had my mind set on becoming a doctor. I worked very hard my first semester and ended up with a 3.2 GPA, but the second semester came around and it was not my best. My GPA dropped and I was very unfocused. I joined the sorority Sigma Sigma Sigma, which I loved, but I left after a year. My spring semester of freshman year was very difficult and I became apathetic to school work and focused on the social aspects of college. This was a big mistake. I'm not saying that going out and having fun is bad, but we are mostly here for enhancing our knowledge and making our futures brighter. I love the experiences I have had and the friends I have made because they're part of the reason why my college life has been amazing. As a rising senior, I realize hard work really does pay off.

Going into my sophomore and junior years, I decided that I would try not to stress as much over exams and papers. I would have a specific way to destress and this meant working out 4 times a week and drinking detox water. It wasn't healthy for me to do that, but I felt destressed and that's what mattered. Then my fall 2015 semester came, where I took organic chemistry. During this class, I decdied that the whole pre-med route wasn't for me. My unhealthy way of destressing actually lead me to my new career path as a nutritionist and dietician, because I needed to be healthier and happier. I ended up having a mental breakdown in this class because I just could not wrap my head around anything the professor talked about.I called my mom who is one of my biggest role models, and she helped me through this breakdown and told me it would be alright. She was right. I mean I didn't do too well in the class, but I was okay because I tried my best and my parents supported me. 

I realize that in high school I took for granted my parents, but college has taught me so much about supporting friends and family and has made me grow in more ways than one. Although some parts of my college career aren't amazing, I wouldn't change a thing. UNCW has brought me so much joy these past 3 years and I can't wait to see what it has in store for me during my senior year!