My Rude Awakening

College has been an interesting experience thus far. Although it is a new place, it really does not seem any different than high school. I honestly see Howard as a bigger high school because there’s still petty people and drama here. However, if you stay away from those type of people then that won’t be an issue.  When I first got to college, I thought that it was going to be similar to high school, but I was in for a rude awakening. I found myself being rejected from practically everything that I sought out for, and I experienced a few shortcomings when it came to my grades. In high school, I did not have to study much, nor did I have to put too much effort into completing assignments and getting good grades. When I got to Howard, I found myself having to really study and read. At King, I aced tests and quizzes with little study time but here I had to study a lot just to get mediocre grades. I found myself really having a hard time being the great student that I was in high school in college. I even questioned my belonging to Howard, and sometimes I thought that I did not fit in here. Now things are better and I found a new hobby that I really enjoy which is stepping. I love stepping and I am really good at it. Stepping has been my substitute for dance since I did not make the dance team at Howard. With stepping I have made new associates, developed closer relationships with upper classmen, and found a team to support me. My college experience has been both challenging and helpful, but I know next semester will be so much better.


Author: Mercedes Harris


King College Prep HS: Class of 2011


Howard University: Class of 2015