Prior to starting my college career, I was considering which college, or colleges, would be the best fit for me. There are many different factors to consider when choosing a college to attend; the cost of tuition, which major and minor to select for whatever career a student is pursuing and figuring out which college best suits the ambitions of each respective student. In my case, both colleges I attended ended up being good fits. I was a student at a community college and then at a four-year college and seeing where I am now, my choices paid off.

I was in the Special Education program all throughout high school, so I decided to attend a community college to see if I could handle the higher academic expectations of college. As it turned out, I could handle it, albeit with a lot of hard work and advocating for myself. Every college student has to work hard to earn their degree. However, when you transition from being in a Special Education classroom for four years to being eligible for reasonable accommodations in college courses, I had to step my game up by a lot.

College provides a mixed bag of scenarios, certain classes are much harder to pass depending on the professor, the material and the student's own motivation to earn their degree. On the other hand, a student gets to make new friends, join extracurricular clubs if they choose and discover who they are as young adults and prioritize their life goals. I accomplished all three of those aspects while attending the four-year college, which was the most socially rewarding two and a half years of my life to this point.

Colleges also offer support systems and resources to provide guidance for students who need assistance with resume development, writing professional cover letters, improving communication skills and how to conduct oneself in job interviews as far as etiquette and social cues are concerned. The four-year college I attended also has a Counseling Center for students who need a professional to speak with for their emotional issues and I am sure other colleges offer the same service. I utilized all of those services during my time at the four-year college and the tutelage I received for my professional growth was very good to know.

As long as a student is motivated, attends class sessions as expected and puts in the necessary effort with assignments and exams, college is a lot of fun. I learned about a lot of interesting topics in my five years of college and discovered more about myself than I had previously. I am very grateful for the opportunities I had to meet some great people, some of whom are still good friends of mine today. Anybody who attends college can make it and earn their degree, it may take more semesters for certain students with certain disadvantages either financially or academically. However, those barriers can be overcome as long as the student wants it enough.

For any prospective college student, I have a suggestion for all of you. Believe in yourself, because in college and throughout life, there will be moments where you experience self-doubt. Even in those instances, give yourself some credit and remember that you are human and you can do whatever you set your mind to. I had a lot of self-doubt before I even entered college, and almost a decade later, I sit here today having earned two different degrees from two different colleges. If I can do it, so can you.

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