Dear freshman year,

It feels like just yesterday I walked into an empty dorm room with my parents and new roommate, and I was so excited to see what the year had to offer. Now, it's nine months later, and here I am again staring at an empty dorm room. This time, when I walk out, it will be the last. This year has had ups and downs; I have learned a lot about myself and a lot about life. It's crazy to think how fast this year has gone by, and I wanted to properly thank you, freshman year, for everything that's happened over the past few months.

Thank you for giving me the greatest roommate in the world. This was my biggest fear going into college, and I'm glad to say my roommate is one of my best friends. Thank you for the late night talks, all the pregames, the random crying sessions and everything in between. I am so thankful I did not end up with some psychopath that stole my things or brought a different boy home every night. These few months of summer feel strange without someone else in the room.

When I came to college as a wide-eyed freshman, my biggest hope was that I would meet lifelong friends. It is safe to say that I have met people who have changed my life for the better, and I don't know what I would do without them. Thank you for bringing these beautiful souls into my life. Thank you for all the parties, late night food runs, breakfast dates and everything in between. I never knew how genuine people could be until I met my college friends. They were there for the fun times and the not so fun times; for that I am truly grateful. I did not know what my life was missing before until I met such amazing people over the course of the year. If I wasn't already lucky enough for my friends, thank you for bringing a group of amazing sisters into my life. I never saw myself as a sorority girl until I started college, but it was honestly the best decision I have ever made. It's funny how life finds a way of bringing us what we need just at the right times in our life. That was definitely the case with my sorority. My sisters have brought so much joy into my life, and I cannot wait for the next three years. Thank you for the friends on my floor and in my building who were always there to drink, cry or bring me NyQuil at 2 a.m. Before this year, I didn't know what true friends were, now I will never forget.

Thank you for challenging me and showing me that I am stronger than I ever could have imagined. Thank you for breaking me so that I learned how to pick up the pieces and teaching me that it's OK to ask for help. I thought that going to college meant that everything would be perfect all the time -- that is not true at all. College is no different than any other time in life; there will be challenges and there will be accomplishments and good times and bad times. I learned that you are never as terrible as you think you are and that you can't always be so hard on yourself. Whether it was a bad test grade, a fight with a friend or just an awful day, I made it to where I am now and am a better, stronger person because of it. Thank you for showing me that I am not alone in my struggles and that everyone faces their own battles every day. Thank you for bringing me people that I was able to conquer my struggles with. It's easy to feel like you are alone or that you are the only one that feels what you are going through. Freshman year showed me that there are so many people who feel the same way and that it's going to be OK.

You taught me it's OK to screw up, and that I most definitely will. Making mistakes is part of life and the only thing you can do is learn from them. This year I realized that you cannot live your life hesitantly or in fear of messing up. Mistakes are all a part of the journey and help you to grow. Nothing is beyond fixing, and in the end, it'll all be OK. I learned that a bad essay or a stupid decision does not define me, and that I am not my mistakes. Everyone screws up sometimes; it's how you deal with it that defines you. Perfection does not exist, especially in college. College is the time to take risks -- if you fall down, there will be people to help you back up.

Most of all freshman year, thank you for giving me a home away from home. Thank you for the friends that turned into family and for giving me so many people to miss. Thank you for the amazing memories and endless laughs. Going to college is scary; there is so much that is unknown. Now I know that everything has a way of working out in the end. Thank you for forcing me to grow up and go outside of my comfort zone, because it definitely paid off. The lessons I learned this year extended far beyond the classroom. Mostly, I learned a lot about myself. I learned what makes me happy and what does not, who is worth my time, and when it's time to call it quits.

It's safe to say this year was a blast. Thank you for all the amazing memories and good times. Though some things I can't quite remember, the ones that I can remember, I will never forget. Freshman year is a time to learn, experiment, and adventure. Thank you for pushing me outside my comfort-zone at times but knowing when it was time to stop. I will never forget the crazy bar nights or the wild frat parties. I will always smile when my favorite song comes on and remember dancing with my best friends. Thank you for making me happy and glad to be alive. Thank you for moments that people write books about and stories to tell for years to come. This year taught me that right now is the youngest I'll ever be and as much as I want them to, the moments I cherish won't last forever. I wish I could freeze time, but sadly I cannot. These are the years where I raise hell and learn who I am and someday looking back it'll be a faint memory. But right now, it is everything and this past year was more than I could have ever asked for.

Thank you freshman year for being everything and more. I cannot wait to see what the rest of college has in store.

Love Always,

An Incoming Sophmore