One of the reasons the road to finishing college was difficult is physical health. Throughout the school year I will fall ill several times with colds or more serious illnesses such as the flu. According to Richard C. Schiming, “By far the most valuable and important time commitment in a course has been the time actually spent in class. That time was the most important determinant of student success, and each unit of time in the classroom itself provided, of all classroom-related activities, the greatest improvement in student achievement.” Being ill often causes students to miss class. Students will miss out on work and important classes, which will lead to them not being successful. Since I get sick often, I usually come to class anyway and try to work it out. Not only does this make other students sick, but I feel worse and my work is mediocre. Being sick causes students to miss class and will have a harder time getting a good grade. Students can also simply come to class even if they are sick. They still won't get the job done. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Another reason the road to finishing college was tough is the transition from high school to college. I'm a Running Start student, so this is my first quarter at Big Bend Community College and my first college courses. Sabelle A. Bento-Wittman states that, “But in the end, going from high school life to college was difficult. First, academics proved difficult, as classes became more challenging than I had experienced in my high school courses. College required more effort to study for exams and stay on top of homework.” As a Running Start student, I was quickly catapulted into college life, two years before the average student experiences college. This adjustment was made quickly and so I quickly learned to keep my grades high to stay in the program. Students who fail to make this adjustment quickly may fail their first courses, which is not a good start for someone who is experiencing college for the first time and has little knowledge about how to approach it. Making it a waste of thousands of dollars The final reason the road to finishing college was difficult was because of transportation. Having failed the driving test the first time I took it and being constantly yelled at while I was learning to drive, driving quickly became an anxious ordeal. Like most American teenagers, I started driving at age 15 and a half, which is the age you can legally get a license. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes that: “In 2015, 2,333 adolescents in the United States between the ages of 16 and 19 were killed and 235,845 were treated in emergency departments for injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes. This means that six teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 died every day due to car accidents.” Teens and new drivers are more likely to be involved in a car accident than an adult with years of experience. Not only can this cause anxiety, but it can increase the anxiety I already have. If I'm thinking about driving to or from school during my day and I'm worried, I can't focus on more important matters, like classes or homework. When I can't focus on classes I won't learn well and progress, which is part of why one would go to college. That is!