Eight to three, day in day out, same classes, same teachers. Sports after school, music practice, a few hours of homework and then sleep. Wake up and do it all over again. High school can get monotonous and routine because, frankly, it is.

Allow me to reassure you, ladies and gentlemen: The grass is greener on the other side.

I graduated Fresno Christian in May 2009 and left for Biola University in August. The day I moved on campus, my life changed. No longer did I have parents to tell me when to go to bed, when to do my homework, making sure I got where I needed to be on time and everything that parents are supposed to do that gets tiring after 17-18 years.

All of the sudden, my life was my own. I could stay up till 4 a.m. on a school night just because (I have); I could go hang out with whomever I wanted until whenever I wanted (I do); and I could decide whether or not to go to class (so far, except for two absences in my P.E. class last semester, I have quite stellar attendance).

Did I suddenly go crazy and become a slacking, ditching, party monster?

Of course not.

Don’t get me wrong – the freedom of college is amazing. But it drop-kicks a person into adulthood. As a first-year college student, I of course took full advantage of my newfound freedom. Was it fun? Absolutely. Was it worth it? Yes. Was it the smartest thing I’ve done? Probably not.

Rather quickly I learned when I could stay up late, that naps are gold, what classes I could afford to be half awake in and not suffer, which classes required coffee to survive, which professors I needed to befriend, what times to go get food, when to look for good parking spots – all the little tricks of the college trade.

By that same token, though, you are the master of yourself now. Homework is up to you, bedtimes are optional and attendance is at your discretion. Are there penalties for neglecting this stuff? You bet there are. As kindly Uncle Ben once said to Peter Parker (Spiderman), “With great power [or freedom at college] comes great responsibility [to get your stuff done or face potential consequences].”

Much of what I’ve talked about is all the new freedoms and responsibilities that college brings, but don’t let that scare you. College is amazing and I’ve loved every second of my first semester at Biola. Whether it’s making new friends on campus, enjoying dorm life or activities with my major, every minute is a new opportunity.

A few such opportunities I have taken are getting involved with several film productions. It’s been a privilege to serve in various capacities on films like “Self Storage,” “On the Other Side,” “Burden of Proof” and “Liberty,” among others.

Whether working as a grip (setting up, tearing down), working production design (making the set look authentic) or working on a camera team (working with the camera), I have loved every second of it.

Looking ahead, I cannot wait to see what the future has in store. Classes and homework are there for sure, but I am most excited about the people and projects that may float my way in the coming months.