It is mid-April and you only have a few weeks left of the school year and you wonder how your first year of college went by so quickly. It seems like just yesterday you were packing up your room as your mom cried and hugged you. It seems like just yesterday that you were arriving at your new home for the next four years, meeting some of your lifelong friends. So, if it seems like just yesterday, how is it possible that it was nine months ago?

Starting college is obviously a scary and exciting time in everyone’s lives, but it’s also a time where you learn a lot. As I look back on my first year of college, I realize all of the new things that I learned:

1. I have WAAAAY too much stuff.

I practically brought everything I owned to college because I had enough storage boxes and I didn’t want to miss anything while I was away at school. However, now that the school year is almost over and most of my things have sat in boxes all year, I have realized that I own far too much clothing/other objects that I do not need to bring next year.

2. Freedom comes with consequences.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the independence that college gave me and how it taught me to live on my own. However, I definitely had to kick myself in the ass a few times in order to get my work in and do well in school. You have so much free time and freedom, it’s very easy to forget the obligations that you have to your academics.

3. Talking to your teachers is helpful.

I know how easy it is to avoid going to teachers to ask questions or get clarifications, but that’s what teachers are for! Speaking with your teachers about questions/concerns can really help you to do better in your class and therefore feel better about life. Teachers can be hard on students, but in the end they want students to succeed and learn in their class.

4. It gets better.

I am very lucky to be able to say I had a positive and happy high school experience, but was still really nervous about what college life/people would be like. I made great friends in high school, but most of my fellow peers frustrated me and I really hoped college would be different, and it is. You are never going to like everyone surrounding you, but hopefully you will pick a school that is filled with people who have similar morals and ideas as you. Also, college allows for a fresh start with a clean slate. It allows you to really be yourself and meet people who love and appreciate the real you.

After learning all this and utilizing it to make my life better, I’ve realized how blessed I am to be able to go to college and experience/learn all these things. College work may be hard and time-consuming, but the memories and lessons you learn will be worth it all in the end.