As I remember my parents telling me that in order to have a successful life, a college education was a must. Both of my parents attended college and became the first in their family to graduate. Fortunately, I’m glad to have them on them on this journey as I navigate college life.
Going to college is a big jump in the life of anyone who decides to enroll and not everyone who attends has the same expectations. Coming to Northern Illinois University, I have high hope and expectations. I admit that I want to have a lot of fun socially, but I also want to succeed academically. I believe NIU is a good place for me. I think being on this campus is going to help me grow as a person.
Socially, I hope to meet new people. I’m looking forward to learning about other people and their backgrounds – where they come from, what there part of the country or world is like. I think it’s interesting to get to know people who grew up from a totally different culture/background than myself. Because I’m going to be a part of the football team, I see that as another way to meet and bond with other people. And while on a sports team, it’s natural to form a brotherhood – a group of guys looking out for one another. Being from sycamore, I already know a couple of people on campus and that will make me even more comfortable.
As far as academics go, I plan to be challenged a bunch. I know the work is going to be tougher than high school where you could coast through. I think I am up for the challenge and plan on pushing myself to give one hundred percent in the class room. I’m often told people tend to get behind in college by not asking for help when needed, so I plan to use all my resources around.