During my senior year of high school, I made a lot of important decisions that have ultimately affected where I am right now in this very moment of time. My decision to attend Ole Miss was undoubtedly a decision I made on a whim; however, I regret absolutely nothing. In the past three weeks of my college experience, I have learned more about myself than I probably have in the last four years of my high school enrollment.

Although I am here to get a higher education and a degree, I can state that college is more than just classes and exams. College is a time for personal improvement and revelations. I discovered that I am extremely independent. I am not scared to eat alone in a restaurant. I am not afraid to handle a problem on my own- for example, a huge dent appeared in my car. I have no clue how it got there, and I had to call the University Police Department to file a report. Before, this would have been so daunting to me, and I probably would have called my dad to handle it.

I learned that I enjoy time alone to read or nap. I discovered that I learn the best when I am writing notes, instead of typing. I discovered that I do not need my mom to tell me to get up and go to church, or to wash clothes, or to clean my bathroom. I realized that I am shy when it comes to meeting new people, but I can be so goofy when I break out of my shell. I even discovered that I enjoy super cheesy traditions. For example, I signed the UM Creed during welcome week, which I thought was so cool. Most recently, I found that I may actually like to exercise- especially kickboxing with my roommate. All of these little self-discoveries add up, creating a personality that I love and embrace now. I want to continue growing and discovering and loving myself throughout this collegiate adventure.

I am strong and independent, and I believe wholeheartedly that I may not have discovered these ideas about myself if I had not chosen to go to the University of Mississippi five hours away from the only town I have ever lived in. Ole Miss has taught me to embrace the individual I am becoming and to embrace the adversities I will face in my future. While a community college or small university close to home is perfect for some people, I fear that I may have hindered my personal growth if I had chosen differently. People say that college is the best four years of your life, so if this is true, I am looking forward to all of the fun times and hardships coming my way, as long as I am at Ole Miss.