The new year is rapidly approaching upon us, and I'm really excited about the new year. This new year brings new beginnings for all of us. I have learned a lot from this past year that has made me a stronger and better person for the future.The lessons I learned from this year are: trust God all the time, you really know who your true friends are, and hard work really does pay off.

The first lesson I learned from 2016 was to trust God all the time. I know that seems like common sense, but earlier in the year I really didn't put my trust in Him like I needed to. I found this necessary when I moved to college especially because there really is a lot going on. Sometimes during the year I felt like I really didn't want to trust Him at times, but that's when I would go in the same circle over and over. But when I did trust him, I would feel like I could break down walls. Then I realized in order to get somewhere or get through things, you have to trust in God all the time.

The second lesson I learned from this year is that you really know who your true friends are. I learned this one rather quickly because I found out who is really there for me when I needed them. And likewise, when a friend of mine needed someone, I was there for them too. I learned that every person in your life doesn't have the best intentions at all for both you and other people. When I learned this lesson, I started to look for people who have the same ideas and same intentions as I do.That's when I really found my true friends.

The final lesson I learned was that hard work really does pay off. I really gained this lesson from surviving my first semester of college. I knew my first semester of college was gonna be a hard one, but I also knew that if I put my mind to it, I would succeed. So I did that as soon as I stepped on campus. I was focusing on one goal, and that goal was to have very good grades my first semester. I had many setbacks trying to accomplish this goal, but at the end of my first semester, I discovered that I achieved the goal that I wanted. It was because of the hard work I put in to accomplish it.

The lessons I learned from this year have made me a better man and a better person. These lessons are preparing me for my future that I have ahead. I am really excited for the new year because I want to learn far more lessons than I learned this year. Happy New Year.