It seems like only yesterday that I arrived for the first time on campus with my boxes for move-in day. In reality, it has been eight months since I left my hometown to move out of my childhood house and into an 11 by 14 foot concrete shoebox known as a freshman dorm.
I started as most do, awkwardly making conversation with whoever would talk to me and trying to navigate my campus without looking too lost, but I eventually started to find my way around and find the friends that are always there to listen to me complain about my classes or make late-night food runs when we're up until 3am studying. As second-semester finals approach, not only do I find myself stressed out of my mind, but also a little sad that my freshman year of college is coming to a close. Many upperclassmen talk about their freshman year like it was some horrific, bad decision-filled, nightmare, but I believe that your freshman year of college is the best.
There is something to be said for how new and exciting everything is the minute you step onto campus for the first time as a freshman. There may be a few familiar faces from your graduating class in high school, but other than that you are surrounded by a totally new group of people. You are met with new experiences, a new environment to live in, a new way of life, and a new place to call home.
The sense of freedom that comes along with going to college is also something tat takes adjusting to. Gone are the days of asking your parents if you can go out or having to come up with an excuse as to why you'll be out past your curfew. You have to bring yourself to the doctor when you're sick and there isn't anyone to tell you what you can and cannot do. If you are anything like me, then this was a very drastic and exciting change for you. From now on, society treats you as an adult and once you adjust to that, it makes it that much harder to go home for the summer (love you, mom).
When you are given total freedom over your choices, there are going to be a few mistakes made as you navigate your new life as a college student. Freshman year is the time to make those mistakes; the entire year is a learning process. With a few instances of trial and error, you begin to shape your personality and become the adult that you will be for years to come. Once you find yourself, you will find the people that click with you and those will be the friends who will stay by your side far beyond college graduation.
There is a very particular moment that every freshman has: the "I Love College" moment. It is when you realize that everyone was right, and college really is the best four years of your life. Between the late nights posted up in the library studying for midterms or going out with friends or sisters, there is a particular moment where you realize that you made the right choice. My "I Love College" moment happened late at night about three months into the first semester of my freshman year. I remember it perfectly and, ever since then, I have never looked back.
Freshman year of college is given a bad rap from upperclassman who now live in their own apartment and couldn't tell you the last time they ate at a dining hall. Although the living situation is cramped and the food is less than satisfactory, freshman year is the start of the best years of your life. It is when you realize that you now have the ability to make your own decisions and find the friends that will stick with you for years to come. Although upperclassmen housing is much nicer, the memories you will make as a freshman are incomparable.
