Coping with Change

The biggest change I've gone through in the past year would probably be my transition back into the civilian world from the army. I just got out of the army in august so I've had some time to adapt to my surroundings, but the hardest change for me when I first got back home was a few different small things. For instance I had to teach myself how to sleep in past 4:30 a.m., I had to learn how to enjoy my meals instead of engulfing them, and I had to learn how to relax and just enjoy myself. I know those aren't really bad things and it's a good thing to be responsible and up to speed like that, but as a civilian there really isn't much point to being able to do those things. I mean honestly who goes to work at 4:30 a.m.? I wake up at 6:30 a.m. now to go to school and that feels like sleeping in. Also after time wears on all of that stuff takes its toll on you and for a while my stress levels were very high so the change was definitely vital. It's been a while since high school, but I know college is different in the fact that I have much more time to do stuff since I have 2 days of school that go until 12:25 and 2 days that go until 2:25. The school work isn't really all that hard in college, but the teachers definitely don't sympathize as much. Also I'm not used to going from building to building for different classes, and the 30 minute breaks are kind of nice in between periods. I usually just go with the flow so I can't think of a time I've really initiated change. I was also thrown into college quickly so didn't really have time to let it dawn on me that I was actually going back to school. I had planned on going to Tabor and backed out last minute so that I could go to Butler. I ended up enrolling the day class started, so I've been to busy to really think about it. The army is giving me $2,000 a month for a year while I go to school, so I really haven't been worried financially. The biggest thing to cause anxiety was trying to catch up with all my classes. Right now I'm just booked between doing school work, spending time with the family, and keeping a healthy relationship with my girlfriend. Plus I am probably going to get a job soon, so I may get a little stressed in the future. Also I wrecked my 2002 Mittsubishi Eclipse and just bought a $300 1993 Chevy Lumina with 150,000 miles on it, so I do worry a little bit about breaking down on my way to school sometimes. I believe your attitude and the things you do have an effect on each other. If you have a good attitude you will be successful and enjoy what you do, but if you have a bad attitude you will hate what you do and have a higher chance of failing. However, it is also true that if something happens that is bad, it can change your attitude that way, and vice-versa with something good.