Brooklin Romero, a 2021 DRHS graduate, now attends the University of Kansas and recently shared her experiences of life after high school.

“College is going really well for me. I expected college to be a lot more stressful than high school, but I actually have found that I like it a lot better. I like the freedom of getting to choose my own schedule and own times for classes. I also like how flexible our work is. A lot of the time we have a week or so to do our work and that makes it easy to stay on top of all my work,” Romero said.

The step from high school to college is a major one, particularly if you’re moving out of state. However, Romero believes that going to college out of state is beneficial since it exposes you to a different atmosphere and allows you to meet new people.

When you’re in high school, the thoughts that cross your mind are about what you want to do after graduation and the pressure that comes with grades.

“My best advice is to follow your heart and choose a college that you’re gonna be happy with. I think finding a good balance between having a social life and academic life on campus is really important, and it also makes you take care of your mental health. Going into college can be really scary, and at first you might feel really lonely, but it really does get so much better and is a great experience,” Romero said.

High school has so many fun events — Romero said she enjoyed going to games and being able to get to know the players and everyone in the hall — but college is a little different.  

“It’s weird walking on a college campus and never seeing familiar faces like you did in high school,” Romero said. 

College is a whole new environment for Romero. She’s noticed that she doesn’t talk to her teachers as much in college, whereas in high school your teachers are able to get to know you more personally.

“You always knew everyone in high school in your grade and on your sports teams; it’s not really the same in college,” Romero said.

Going through the change of high school to college is a difficult road to follow, but it is important to learn things along the way and grow as a person.

“I think a goal I have achieved is learning to be more independent,” Romero said. “I never thought I would be able to go out of state and do well in classes — I’m not told as much what to do like it was in high school. Being independent is hard, but college has really made me realize you can do anything you put your mind to.”