Spring Semester of My Junior Year - Day 1

 Today was my first day of my spring semester of my junior year of college.  I am both excited and a little nervous for what's in store for me this semester.  I am grateful that Sophie and I are reunited with Jacklyn this semester, who was one of the roommates we lived with last year in our on-campus house.  Probably one thing that can be the most challenging in college is finding the right group of people to live with who respect and appreciate you.  I am glad to have found Sophie and Jacklyn and am excited to make more memories with them this semester.

One of the most important lessons I have learned in college so far is how vital communication is in our relationships with others.  Despite sometimes having schedules that make it hard to touch base, making moments count and using your voice to tell you roommates how you feel is of the utmost importance.  I may not have seen Jacklyn or Sophie much today, but we still keep in touch with quick words as we head to class and text messages to each other.
From previous experience, lack of communication leads not only to tension in a college living situation, but can also lead to a hard-to-handle life at home with your parents if you don't see eye to eye or take the time to fill each other in on what's going on.  I am fortunate to feel now that I have found the right people to share space with at the moment and to have developed a respect and appreciation for my parents that allows me to, for the most part, have a peaceful and warm stay with them when I come home on an occasional weekend/break.  Communication with them while I'm at school is also a driving force in my motivation to keep working hard.  As I get older, I appreciate more and more the things they have done for me to get me this far and their efforts to give me a bright future.  Being away from them can be tough, but it makes me cherish even more the time I do get with them when they come to visit or I go home for a bit.  Knowing that they are just a phone call away has been very comforting, especially when I was a freshman and was just getting acclimated to living in a new environment with were at first, strangers.

Now that I am a junior, I don't feel the need to call them as much, but we still appreciate our texts and phone calls to one another.  It can be tough making the transition even now back to living on campus and having more independence and responsibility, but I feel as though I grow more and more each day.  Right now, as I think about how day one of this semester went, I feel pretty good about it.  My morning  started at 6:40am.  I got dressed, made myself tea, ate a bowl of strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries for breakfast, and got myself and my backpack ready to tackle my first two classes.  About 15 minutes before my class was to start, I headed off to my 8am physics class.  After physics, I picked up a package from the mailroom which contained my genetics textbook I ordered and then headed back to the science building for genetics lecture.

After genetics lecture, I headed back to my apartment to make myself some lunch, relax, and start digging into readings and notes for an online class I'm taking this semester.  I didn't get the best of sleep last night, having gotten into a later schedule for the majority of break, so I did feel pretty tired in the early afternoon, but I managed to get some reading done and relax a little before I had to head back to the science building for genetics lab.  And now having gotten back from genetics lab an hour and a half ago, eaten a salad, and tried to mentally prepare myself for another early morning tomorrow, I feel as if some of my stress has lifted and that I am prepared for what lies ahead of me this semester.  Despite a courseload of science classes, I feel as though I can handle what's in front of me with a brave face and a kind soul.  I hope that if any of you reading this also had a first day back to school that it was a great one. 
Wish you all the best today and always!