Stepping out of our comfort zones is one of the greatest accomplishments one can achieve, and the transition from high school to college was one of the greatest transitions I've ever had encountered. Both college and high school are academic institutions where students enrich themselves intellectually. However, the difference in the difficulty level of the subjects is not the only difference between the two institutions. My whole life completely changed when I went to college, obliterating my perfect expectations. The difference lies in the way I live, my residence, my mental state and my education. First, the way I live changed dramatically once I started college. Walking 15 miles back and forth every day may seem like a trivial distance to travel. Unfortunately for me that wasn't the case. The traffic jam between Dubai (where I originally lived) and Sharjah (where my university is located) can take hours to clear; so the only practical solution left to me was to live in the college dorms. At first, the idea of ​​living alone appealed to me, but I've never been so wrong. I moved into a private room that I imagined was my own little kingdom. I thought I would play video games and listen to loud music all night without my parents asking me to turn the volume down. This was the life I aspired to, but I've never been so wrong. These benefits of freedom and privacy come at a high price that I cannot afford. Now I am constantly depressed and engulfed in loneliness and despair. I never imagined that breaking away from my parents would have such an impact on me. Now I sit all day alone in a petrifying silence that prevails in every inch of that room, and eat unhealthily processed and disgusting foods... in the middle of a sheet of paper... the training is done in the most compassionate. Teachers make sure students understand everything. Teachers also establish a sincere relationship between themselves and students, trying to solve students' personal problems as much as possible. With this modest knowledge, students also have a lot of free time to enjoy. Last but least, these aspects (residence, mental state and education) form the basis of every student's life, and not everyone is able to handle such a transition in a short period of time. Establishing a coping mechanism with the alienating atmospheres you may encounter is the key solution to moving forward. Adapting to new lifestyles, new systems, and new people may seem hostile and cold, but no matter how difficult or annoying that adaptation process may seem, it is a necessity for thriving and, at the very least, survival..