The very second senior year starts up, every senior begins the long awaited college application process. It is the only conversation starter between my senior classmates. While it might all be a tedious process, I can’t help but get excited over the fact that a year from now I will be in a completely different chapter of my life. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love being home and around everything I’ve ever known but the thought of college never leaves my mind. The excitement over meeting my future lifelong friends and studying a major I am passionate about keeps me up at night. I am fascinated by the unknown future and the idea of getting to experience a different step in my life. 

After visiting a friend at Virginia Tech University this past weekend, I got to experience college life face to face. I realized that all of my best friends are just a short walk away from the dorm and the classes are actually worth going to. The weekend allowed me to feel the independence of a college student as I walked around campus with a coffee in my hand and music in my headphones.

I was shocked about how well I fit into the community and how easy-going the students were. I loved finding out about the little responsibilities that come with living on your own and how every student takes their life into their own hands. I just hope that wherever I go to school is where I am meant to end up. 

While leaving high school and the friend group I have grown to call family will be a challenge, I also feel very trapped in the same cycle school and the same weekend plans. I want a change that shows me a new perspective of my life and doesn’t confine me to the city of St