My first semester of college is finally over! I feel so proud of myself for making it through the past 15 weeks and as challenging as it was, it offered an even bigger reward and a huge sense of accomplishment. I know I have changed a lot since I came here in August and I know I have learned a lot of things that I would like to share with other students, whether they are in college or not. College has taught me a lot of lessons, but here are a handful of highlights.

1. Don't Be Afraid to Try New Things

Being in a new place is scary, but it's not going to get any better if you sit in your room all day. Here's the thing about freshmen- they don't know anything. Everyone is in the exact same boat as you. Putting yourself out there and trying new things is how you make friends. If you reach out to others they will reach out to you. Everyone is scared, so don't let fear hold you back.

2. Being Smart is Cool

Being able to contribute to discussions is amazing. Having something to say is viewed as a good thing by both professors and students. We are all in college because we want to learn, so academic growth is encouraged. Gone are the days where students laugh at each other for doing good in class. People in college want to see other students succeed and everyone is extremely encouraging and helpful. Having a nurturing community that builds itself up is such an amazing thing to be a part of- so be proud to be smart.

3. Socializing is Actually Important

While education is the obvious reason everyone is in college, having a social life is just as important. You can't completely cut yourself off from the outside world and spend every waking hour of the day studying. You would go crazy. Talking to and meeting new people is incredibly important. It teaches you valuable social skills that you will need in order to move up in the workplace and it also allows you to network with important people. Making yourself available opens up way more doors than keeping to yourself does.

4. Ask For Help

It's okay to need help. If you are struggling in a class, don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help. There are resources on campus for a reason- use them. It's much better to feel confident in your abilities and know what is going on in a class than to silently suffer. Also, no one knows your struggling if you don't tell them. No one is a mind reader, so you have to take it on yourself to ask for help. As hard as it may be to admit, you will feel so much better and way more confident once you have.

5. Responsibility

Life gets very real very fast. Mom and Dad aren't here anymore. Every choice you make is yours and yours alone. That is terrifying. However, it also allows for a lot of growth. College teaches you independence just as much as intelligence. Knowing that you have full control of your own life is liberating, but also scary. It's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them and become a better person from them.

College is a time where you find yourself. I have found my first semester to be very enlightening and helpful. Being able to see how much I have grown and changed is incredible and I am so happy that I have chosen to take this path. I have already learned so much about myself and I cannot wait to see where next semester takes me.