Being a freshman isn’t easy. And for most students, it’s not something you have to deal with alone.

This quarter is the first for Blake Shannon, and not only is it his first as a college student, but also his first as a Division I athlete.

Now, he’s blogging about his weekly experiences as the latest addition to the men’s soccer team.

In December, Shannon graduated from high school in Houston, a decision he and the DU head coaches made last fall.

“It was the right time and a good decision for me to come early and get a head start on my freshman year,” Shannon said.

Shannon sees this as an advantage as an athlete.

“In the fall, you come in and have to play games right away for the season, get a feel of how the classes are going to be right off the bat,” Shannon said.

But the transition hasn’t been slow. He has started in each game of the spring season.

“I was thrown into the fire five days in, getting my first collegiate start against one of the better teams in the country,” Shannon wrote in his blog.

He also writes about the transition to college, classes, training and the team’s eight hour road trip to Omaha, Neb., in minivans.

“Thursday hit as the team set sail for Omaha in four minivans,” Shannon wrote in his most recent blog. “The eight hour or so drive wasn’t bad as coach Korn and some of the other freshmen I rode with made the long journey entertaining with our rap sessions.”

Visit denverpioneers.com to read Shannon’s blog each week.

Shannon and the Pioneers have officially finished with their spring season. As the offseason begins Shannon will seek to fine tune his game.