“All your life you’ve been treated like special little snowflakes,” The Professor says as he locks both doors. “It is my job to tell you that you’re not special at all.”

80 hot sweaty kids, dressed in everything from midriffs to freshly pressed tuxedos listen attentively, hanging on the every word that the professor is saying.

“You are just average”

Two students bang on the door and twist the handle, expecting mercy on the first day of class. The professor opens the door ever so slightly,

“1:00:52, you’re late, I expect that you’ll be able to hear my lecture from outside the door.” With that he slams the door.

80 baffled students, including myself, stare in awe, or maybe in horror, at what they’ve just got themselves into.

Being an Access student at MSU is very different than being a high school student, AP, Regular, or Dual Credit.

No matter how many AP classes you’ve taken, nothing ever really prepares you for college until it hits you right in the face.

It’s no mercy.

On my first day of college two years ago I was really nervous, and I had no idea what to expect.

“My class had a 30 percent failing rate,” the teacher said as she boomed into the room, locked the door, and slapped syllabuses on each of our desks. “As soon as you miss four days of my class, I will drop you from the course myself.”

That’s when I really fell in love with college. I love the strict atmosphere, the diverse students, the seniors dying to get their last credits in, the freshmen just testing out the water, even the parents coming back to college to further their education.

Most of all, though, I was amazed at how everyone wanted to be there, how everyone had a goal, and how everyone was respectful to one another.

It’s funny how unappreciative students are of their education, FREE education at that. For me, each college class is $550, not including books which are extremely expensive. Unfortunately, while being an Access student I have “access” to everything except scholarships because I am still underage.

But, of course the other perks are nice: free concerts, free athletic events, I get to use the wellness center, all on-campus computer rooms, food court, and I can even reserve individual and group study rooms. I even receive the same health benefits like a campus doctor and use of the psychology clinic.

I was always being treated like a special little snowflake, but those days are over, I’m a college kid now.