Freshman year for me has been one full of tears and triumph, laughs and screams. But I wouldn’t have traded it for anything else.
My decision to move 4,500 miles away from home was a tough one. On one hand, I’d be moving closer to family, but on the other, I would be leaving my sisters, parents, and friends behind. I’d be growing as a person, but also I’d be missing out on the lives of so many people who meant so much to me.
This past year, I learned so much about myself. I learned my opinion matters and that it deserves to be heard. I learned so much about politics and which platforms mean the most to me. I learned that my resilience is like no other. I learned that I will fall down sometimes, but there will be someone there to help me regain my footing.
I got so blessed with my amazing roommates, my wonderful sisters in Chi Omega, and my fantastic friends. Every one of these people helped me realize not only who I want to be but also how I should go about getting there. I can’t tell you how many times I sat crying in my roommate’s room about a boy or a difficult day and she just sat there listening and, at the end of it, hugged me, which meant so much more than I think she will ever realize. Sitting in the quad with friends doing homework or eating lunch were times I lived for because though real life surrounded us, just for a moment, time stopped and we were laughing like adulthood wasn’t imminent.
Freshman year was one full of struggle, too, though. I was an above average student in high school, and in college, I fell to my average teetering on below average self. I struggled to maintain a steady emotional state and my mental/emotional health plummeted into oblivion. I still struggle sometimes to keep myself stable and to make sure I take time to check up on myself and keep myself happy.
If freshman year taught me anything, it’s to make sure you do what’s best for you. If someone doesn’t serve you well in your life, let them go. If a situation is not what it could be, make it better. Everything is in your control if you let it be.
It’s been one hell of a year. Relationships started and ended. Friendships started that will never end. I pushed myself so far and I can’t wait to see where college will take me.
