Pre-College
On March 29, 2013, I was a senior in high school finding out she had been accepted to not one, but all three universities she'd applied to: Ball State University, Carthage College, and Meredith College. I was in the car on the way to Cocoa Beach, Florida for my last Spring Break of my high school career.
The decision to go to Florida had been easy. All I wanted was to stand in the middle of Main Street, U.S.A. in Disney's Magic Kingdom and watch Wishes! the spectacular fireworks show put on by the park at the time. I knew I wasn't going to be going on a lot of vacations when I started college, so I wanted this last one to be memorable.
I remember being so relieved that I'd been accepted because my mother had told me (based on my terrible relationship with math) that no college would accept me based on my testing scores and if no one accepted me, I'd be enlisting in the United States Coast Guard. The fact she'd also told me no child of hers would ever go to Ball State also struck a cord.
Imagine my devastation when my parents made the decision for me that I'd be attending Ball State University because it was the school that had given me the most funding. I was losing the opportunity to go to an Ivy League rate school or my sister's alma mater.
When August rolled around and I moved into Lafollette in Brayton Hall with my best friend from high school, I was in tears when my parents left. I hugged my mom, told her I loved her, and thanked her for everything she had done for me. I was a wreck. But I didn't want to be there.
Freshman Year
My freshman year at Ball State flew by even if it was bizarre to say the least. I joined the Ball State Daily News, the school's newspaper, and went from staff reporter to chief reporter to features editor all within a period of a few months. I learned that you earn your position and you can't move up if you don't make the effort and take a shot even if you feel like you'll epically fail.
I also learned that friends come and go and finding yourself during your college years is easier said than done. It's not my job to tell the story of my freshman roommate, but her journey to finding who she really was wasn't easy.
I learned that boys aren't everything and that college boys are even worse than high school ones. I'm just lucky I met my husband-to-be second semester the day before Valentine's Day. My family's dog had passed away and he was the only one who knew what I was going through in that news room. He hugged me as I cried and told me everything would be okay.
Sophomore Year
My second year of college was chock-full of ups and downs and definitely more lows than non. I stuck with the same roommate and it blew up in my face. At least she apologized for her actions after graduation.
I joined Cardinal Ballroom and placed second in Newcomer Swing at my second competition. I learned that teammate's are one of the constants I've had in my life and they definitely saved me from myself that year. I've got two different partners to thank for that.
I attended my fiancé's eldest sister's wedding and fell madly in love with not just him, but his entire family. He'd spent the past few months chasing after my affection and it was that one night in October that won me over. I learned that love takes time and can sometimes be in front of you for months before you realize it. I learned that trusting your heart to someone is never easy, but if you take the chance on the right one, it's the one chance you won't regret.
Halfway through the year I changed my major from journalism to history and creative writing and brought my GPA up dramatically. I aced almost every course and rediscovered my love of old books and learning and reading and writing. Through that I learned to go after what I want and pursue my dreams even if other people aren't so supportive of those decisions.
Junior Year
My first semester of junior year was supposed to be spent working in Walt Disney World. In that instant I learned that family sometimes triumphs over your career and that the love I had for them and for my fiancé (then-boyfriend) was more important than a semester in Disney.
I discovered my love of design working for PANDORA Jewelry while waiting for the new year and semester to begin. If a career as a historian or writer doesn't pan out, you can find me working there again.
Also, living with a man is definitely weird starting out, but once you learn their patterns and habits it's actually not so bad. It's even better when said man proposes to you at your favorite spot on campus.
Senior Year
My last year at Ball State was bittersweet. I lived with a friend and her boyfriend in our three bedroom apartment. I learned that my health (physically, emotionally, and mentally) takes priority over other's and that what I do now can effect me harshly in the long-run. I also learned that I actually like going to the gym and working out.
I learned that procrastinating is still something I struggle with, but at least I was graduating. Senior-itis is a real thing, too, and those last two semesters will absolutely kill you if you let it. The urge to breakdown and cry was strong that last year.
Don't plan a wedding during your last two semesters of school. You'll want to put your head through a wall.
Graduation will feel like a dream and you won't believe it really happened until you receive that diploma in the mail. Honestly, it still doesn't feel real.
Once again I learned that friends come and go and I ended my four years at Ball State with three, if that. Not everyone you meet freshman year will keep in touch with you, but they may still follow you on social media.
Post-Grad
Being an adult sucks, but it gets better with time. I can no longer say I'm a broke college student. I'm just broke. Family and friends will come to your aid if you really need it. The fact that I'm getting married less than five months from now has me terrified, but also really, really excited.
It hasn't hit me, yet, that I'm leaving my childhood home in my small town for an even bigger city and a one bedroom apartment. My life is, quite literally, in boxes right now and I've noticed all of the memories I've kept with me the past 22 years. I'm going to miss the brick ranch I've grown accustomed to more than I thought I would, but that may be because I'm leaving my family's dog behind.
I've learned that I wish I had a better time in school, mostly during my middle and high school years. College was also not the best years of my life, but at least I met my fiancé during them.
Making the move to Florida and getting married are going to be the most exciting and challenging times for me, but I'm facing those challenges head on. I cannot wait to be a wife to an amazing man that I'll get to call my husband.
Finally, I've learned that everything happens for a reason. A different college could have altered the path I'm on now drastically, so I guess I learned I wouldn't change a thing, no matter what happened to me in the past. The past is the past, and I've learned to leave it there.
