On the car ride home from Middlebury, my mom asked me a question that I hadn’t really thought about up until now. She said, “Was Middlebury easier or harder than what you expected going in?” After being accepted to Middlebury, I heard numerous stories from people all expressing their love for the school. Along with those stories, I also heard a few that talked about the enormous work load and the rigorous classes. My senior year of high school, I had an incredibly tough schedule. I took four APs as well as another class which was around the same level of rigor. After taking all of these classes and surviving, I thought that I was well prepared for what lay ahead.

Looking back now, I can see that I was wrong. I underestimated how tough it was going to be to receive good grades at a school like Middlebury. I am not saying that I did not enjoy this semester because I did; I am just a bit surprised as to how hard college really is. Even with my crazy work load, I would not trade my first semester experience for anything. I met a ton of great people and was taught by some of the best professors in the world. All in all, I feel incredibly blessed to have the chance to attend Middlebury and I look forward to what’s to come.