Dear Freshman Year of College,

You were such a whirlwind of events and memories. When I first started I had no idea how much of an impact you would make in my life, and for that I am eternally grateful. There were so many ups and plenty of downs, but here are just some things that I want to thank you for.

So,

1. Thank you for giving me some of my best friends.

Without them I probably wouldn't have made it through the year.

2. Thank you for helping me understand that it’s okay to make mistakes.

Because trust me, I made my fair share of them.

3. Thank you for giving me hours upon hours of homework.

It taught me great time management skills and how to plan my day.

4. Thank you for all the super late nights studying, but also all the laughs that came with them.

The nights I remember most were the ones when we were extremely exhausted and laughing to keep ourselves awake.

5. Thank you for making me realize that it’s okay to take breaks every once and awhile to enjoy life.

Breaks from studying helped me keep my sanity throughout the year.

6. Thank you for my sorority and my sisters.

It's so great to be connected to amazing girls through my sorority, and I always know they'll make me laugh.

7. Thank you for giving me difficult situations that helped me grow as a person.

If you would have told me all the stories that were going to happen to me through the year I would have never believed you, but those difficult situations helped me become who I am today.

8. Thank you for showing me that it's okay to ask for help.

Whether this was from my professors for help with homework or questions, my friends for constant questions to edit or help with studying, or my family who helped me during my very stressful days.

9. Thank you for making me realize I don't have all the answers and probably never will.

I thought that since I was now in college I should have all the answers and never question anything, but I quickly realized that I don't have all the answers and that's okay.

10. Thank you for making me realize I don't always know what I'm doing or why I'm doing it.

It seemed like I never knew why I was doing what I was and I quickly learned the phrase "oh well."

11. Thank you for helping me realize I was a lot more independent than I thought.

I thought I was very independent when I started college, but I soon realized that I gained even more.

12. Thank you for making me happier than I ever thought possible.

Even though the school part is pretty tough at times, I wouldn't trade the experiences for anything.

13. And most of all thank you for not making it too terrible so that I want to go back next year.

I'll see you next year sophomore year. I can't wait to see what you have in store.

From,

A Former College Freshman