Through my first semester I was able to utilize multiple opportunities, outside resources, and stay involved within my community, all while discovering the struggles of the first year experience. Staying active on campus had become an important strategy to stay focused in school, however contradictory this sounds. During the first month and a half of the semester all my energy was put in studying, academics, and classes, resulting in an immense amount of stress. To overcome these anxieties, I discovered the best medication was to find a healthy balance in my lifestyle. This lifestyle involved participation in organizations that confirmed my confidence in my major, Health Science, pre-PT. The first event I attended was the Garden of Hope through the James Cancer center that occurred during welcome weekend. It was an eye-opening experience where we helped weed the garden, harvest cucumbers, and interact with cancer patients who were given produce for free. This hands-on experience, where I felt I had directly affected others, strengthened my understanding of the wellness aspect of my major. It took some time to revisit volunteering this semester, but after discovering Buddy-Up Tennis through the Pre-PT/OT Club, I look forward to Saturday mornings where I can be a Buddy to the many special-needs friends I have made. The commitment to Buddy-Up Tennis has kept me involved within the Pre-PT club, thus opening me to more resources for my particular career choice: listening to physicians speak, attending study groups, and even more volunteer openings. Lastly, the most difficult aspect in achieving in my goals was continuing to incorporate personal interests in college life. Being drowned in work, it was a struggle to prioritize un-academic related events. Just recently I was finally able to attend protests, and stay politically active, allowing a healthy balance in this new lifestyle.