Welcome back Lion family! Once again the time has come for us to continue on the path toward earning a college degree and moving forward in life. For those of us who are college veterans, this journey is pretty common. We move back here from our hometowns and engage in a world of our own, making the best out of being broke and trying to figure out adulthood.

For incoming freshmen, however, this transition can be one of the scariest life has to offer at this point. Trust me, it gets easier. Everyone else here was where you all are right now. College is great, really. You have all the freedom in the world. No longer do you have to listen to griping parents nagging you about being home at a certain time. In addition to that, if any of you went to a high school with a uniform dress code, like me, forget that here. That’s right, you can actually wear those open toed shoes, jeans with holes, and a tie-dye shirt everyday if you want! But wash your clothes, please.

What you all need to remember is that nobody is going to baby you constantly – a concept that took a while for me to grasp personally. The obvious example would have to be class work. Remember in high school whenever you forgot to do an assignment, went to the teacher, and they would mercifully extend the due date just for you? Well, in college it is safe to put that practice to rest. Do not get me wrong, however. The professors here at Texas A&M University-Commerce are first class. As much as they realize we are adults and should be held to a higher standard, they are human as well. Last year when my grandmother was in the hospital, I went to one of my professors and asked if I could take a test, which was scheduled on a Friday, on another day. Initially, I expected the answer to be a simple no. However, this professor graciously allowed me to take the test earlier and miss that Friday’s class. Professors expect more from adults – and yes, freshmen, you all are adults. But, they also understand whenever things happen. To stay on the safe side, though, just try to get your stuff done when it is due.

Another thing to remember is that no matter how tempted you are to put off something and relax, do not do it. Procrastination seems as if it is there to be a best friend to you. This, of course, is a lie. The amount of times I have been in rushes to finish an assignment because I procrastinated are too many to count – probably even too much for this column. If you all think I am over exaggerating, you all are wrong. I remember one time I waited until two hours before a class was supposed to start to write a paper. I ended up finishing and printing the paper five minutes before class started, and I still had to walk to class to turn it in on time. Moral of the story: do not procrastinate – ever. That is just my advice to you all. It is advice that should be taken on my end as well, as I have procrastinated all week in writing this column and designing my page.

Once you all start walking down this road and discover who you are and what you want to be in life, these concepts of adulthood will come naturally without a problem. But, as you get started on this journey, remember one thing: do not forget to enjoy yourself responsibly, and everyone’s best friend, procrastination, is actually a monster ready to devour you.

Welcome to the A&M-Commerce family.