In Her Own Words: From High School To UMD

Dear Freshmen,

You made it! You have begun what you might think to be the hardest transition of your life. To be fair, looking back on it, I don’t blame you. Living away from home, going to a MUCH bigger school, playing college athletics, dealing with so many unknowns of the world… and it’s all happening at once.

At times, I felt like I was ready for this next big change in my life, but at the same time, there were so many other feelings along with it. To say I was anxious would be an understatement. I was feeling everything under the sun - scared, nervous, excited, sad, yet hopeful. The change may have seemed scary, but deep down the excitement for the change to come was overwhelming and it has surely lived up to that. But going to college felt like a massive step up. You might be questioning yourself about whether or not you can make it through this change, but I can tell you that you can excel because of this change.

Towards the end of high school, I felt like I was in a great spot. Club and high school soccer were awesome. It was challenging, but at the same time I knew where I would soon end up so I took every opportunity to make it as light-hearted as possible. School was easy as well, I had one class a day and then I waited around for club practice and called it a day. I felt so prepared for something new and exciting that I graduated a semester early, and enrolled at the University of Maryland in the spring.

Socially, I was terrified. I was here at a new school, coming into a new team not knowing what to expect, but I couldn’t be happier with how the transition went. My teammates were so welcoming and kind, but looking back there was no reason to be as nervous I was because we are all here for the same reason - to win.

School is what made me the most nervous, and to be honest, it can be stressful at times, but there are so many resources to help you. The content is obviously going to be more in-depth than information in high school, but the work can catch up to you, especially with practice, games, films, etc added into the mix. Sometimes missing your family and friends can also be a huge part of the transition, but there are so many fulfilling ways to keep in contact and in some cases the distance makes your relationships stronger, I can certainly attest to that.

Overall, I want to say do not over stress. Of course these are huge changes occurring in your life all at one time and that can be very overwhelming, but there are so many fun, new experiences to look forward to. I recently played in my first ever college soccer game. This is a moment that I had been looking forward to for months, and it finally came. All of the hard work that was put into club soccer and adjusting to college soccer paid off. The nerves from my first practice and game don’t even compare to the excitement and joy I feel now, those are some of the most exciting moments I’ve had.

School will always be hard, but that’s what you signed up for, you signed up to be a student first, athlete second, but the resources I have been given have been so helpful in my transition. If I’m struggling in a class there are specialists or tutors I can go to for help. Looking back on the anxieties or fears I had about the social aspect of college and about playing for a new team seem so silly to me now considering I have met some of the best people I think I will ever meet, and I can’t stress enough how people really can make a place; teammates, professors, coaches, trainers, mentors, etc. You never know how someone can better you in the long run!

Get excited! You’re about to enter what will be the most hectic, yet exciting time of your life and I’m ecstatic for you. I never said my transition was seamless, but it’s looking like many awesome years to come!

-Kennedy Bell