I began following the discussions on this site as a guest when I was a high school sophomore dreaming of a chance to "play at the next level." But now, one month into my college experience as a student-athlete, I realize something...I didn't quite understand what the "next level" actually meant. I didn't foresee the hours of lifting and running and batting practice that awaited me; I was just a 16 year old who had decided he wanted to play college ball. Now, these activities are the norm, and they have been ever since that point when I decided that I had a dream. I couldn't have wished for more from the experience. The lessons I have learned from my high school teachers, coaches, trainers, friends, and most importantly family members, are indeed directly applicable to college life (or for the rest of my life, for that matter). I have felt so well prepared for my classes, practices, social interactions, and I have only the great people who have been around me to thank. I also want to thank the insightful posters on HSBBW for your willingness to share so much knowledge about baseball and life in general through this forum. The experiences that I have read about here are starting to become so real to me now on and off the field. Patience and persistence are truly virtues required of any student-athlete who wants to be the best that they can be. If I could share one thing with a high schooler with a goal of playing baseball in college, it would have to be that this experience, the experience of moving from high school to college, only comes once in a lifetime, so you have to embrace it and take ownership of the identity you want to create. I have survived one month of college classes and baseball at an Elite-Academic DIII school. And I can't wait to experience the rest. 