Ariel Mendoza

Hi! My name is Ariel Mendoza, and I’m from Atlanta, GA. I have been at the University of Georgia for a semester now, and I have enjoyed every bit of it. Going into the second semester of my freshman year, I finally feel like I am actually a college student now. Sadly, I do not want it to end because it feels like it all went by so fast. I have enjoyed it so much I do not want to go home as it is all coming to an end. I have changed a lot as an individual and enjoyed my new freedoms as a young adult. I enjoy being my own responsibility and no longer my parent's responsibility. I have met so many new people and created so many new relationships. There are also things I have missed at home that I can not get here as a freshman student. Probably the most prominent and foremost thing I miss from home is the food because the dining halls are the only thing I do not enjoy at the University of Georgia. I miss a home cooked meal and cooking meals for myself. I also miss the unique variety of places to eat near my house. However, freshman year has also taught me what I should avoid and what I need to work on as a person and a student. I believe freshman year is meant to be enjoyed while at the same time any individual should realize it is a time to get used to college life and set yourself up for the remaining years. There are so many distractions going on in everyone's lives, and there is never not something to do. I have learned that I no longer will be fed information and that time management is the key to success in college. After this semester I feel prepared for the next three years, and I have learned to balance my scholarly work with my social life.