By BETHANY ADAMS/Guest Columnist

Recently I sat in a classroom wearing a tank top, shorts and flip flops with my BlackBerry sitting on top of my desk, in plain view of my teacher. And no, I was not dreaming. I was in college!

The University of Montevallo is a fantastic school with a gorgeous campus. Walking to and from my classes is not only exercise, but an adventure for my senses. Cobblestone walkways, gorgeous antebellum buildings, vibrant flowers and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee surround me as I go to my next class.

This semester I take two classes, have an hour break, take two more classes and then drive home. And I only have school three days a week! I had always heard that college is supposed to be stressful, but so far, this is the most stress-free school experience that I have ever had. My first few days of class I kept getting really confused and lost. But eventually, with the help of road signs that I had been over-looking and some nice people that actually knew where they were going, I have finally figured it out.

At the University of Montevallo I can take a class in any subject area that interests me. If taking classes and buying the books for those classes was not so expensive, I would stay in school a lot longer than what is required. In high school, we were learning things that we “had” to learn. In college, we choose what we want to learn. So, I know that I have only officially been a college student for two weeks, but so far I am loving my college experience. I honestly look forward to getting up to go to school now. After all, I can wear whatever I want. I think I’ll wear a strapless dress and flip flops on Wednesday.

Pelham High School graduate Bethany Adams is a freshman at the University of Montevallo.