Transitioning from High School to College

So a majority of American teenagers no longer complete their quest for education at the end of their high school career. It is almost standard now to continue your pursuit into undergrad or even grad schools.
The standards in this day and age are that unless you are making the kind of money that a degree will earn you will not be able to create a life for yourself well and you especially will not be able to create one for your family. So with that in mind it is inevitable that one must make the transition from high school into college. But how does one do so? It can be scary, especially for those of us who are first generation college students and have no one to guide them through the process of applications, auditions, scholarship essays, any of that. I am a first generation college student and I was afraid and confused when I went through my application process. I was unsure about everything to say and I just wanted to answer everything right. But then I realized that learning these things and thinking on my own was the first part of being a college student, the first step to becoming an adult. In college, especially if you live on campus, you're no longer a kid who is still under the wisdom and descernment (or lack thereof) of your parents. You are on your own and you have been kicked out of the nest. You must govern your own choices, responsibilities and actions. There is no one to get you up in the morning except for your alarm clock. There is no one ensuring that you get your coffee and breakfast before you head off to school, no one making sure you do all of your assignments. It is just this transition where you have to "man up" and take on your own life. This is when you really become yourself. You also have to ensure that you are keeping up with your studies. The course work in college is significantly harder and so much more demanding than the classwork of high school. The test are deeper, the thinking requires more attention, the books must be read actively. College isn't a walk in the park nor should it be. But with accountability, maturity, work ethic, and several other self-improvements, the transition from high school into college can be a true piece of cake!