Ajoi is eighteen years old and a freshman here at GSU, she described her college process as confusing. Ajoi explained how she struggled deciding if she even wanted to attend college in the first place. At a young age Ajoi always had her nose in a book and even said she failed Physical Education in fifth grade because the only thing she did was read during class. She explored many subjects in school like cosmetology, theatre, and early childhood education. But none of them piqued her interest to make it into a career. However, she said that school is the only thing she succeeds well in and was determined to get an education. In high school Ajoi prided herself in her grades and study habits. But she never considered going to school until senior year. She settled on going to school for Human Resources and is majoring in Business Administration, which she says is a lot harder than she expected it to be. She is also considering sonography and keeping an open mind on anything because she has not found her passion or ‘dream job’ yet. She felt pressure to come up with an answer to ‘what are you doing after high school’ so she decided to pick one that satisfied those around her even though she was not quite sure. 

However, things changed when she got to college. Ajoi explained that she went through a lot of ‘firsts’, first time doing school online, first time having no friends in school, first time not talking to her teachers and so many more things. Her study habits also changed she said procrastination became a regular thing and lost her motivation to do good in school because everything was so overwhelming. This is what she describes as one of the most difficult time in her life because she was dealing with numerous other issues. She struggled turning in work weekly and finding a set schedule. Ajoi started her new job the same time school started so she did not know how to handle so many things at once. She explained how she felt like a failure compared to high school herself. By the end of the semester, she managed to get A’s and B’s. She learned and grew a lot in just one semester in college and is ready to use her experience for this semester. I have learned through Ajoi that life is unpredictable and to always keep your head up.  

In conclusion, Ajoi and I relate a significant amount and communicating with her brings a sense of relief knowing that there are other people who know the struggle is real. School is an opportunity to expand your mind and find yourself which is exactly what Ajoi is doing. This is a sign to remain positive and never give up no matter how hard things might be.