Dear Freshman Year,

I went into last year expecting you to be completely different than you actually turned out to be. I learned more in my first year with you than I have in my entire life thus far. Unlike anything I have ever experienced before, you showed me life through a new set of lenses; seeing how fun, exhaustion, independence, and booze can all be mixed in together…and still allow someone to come out of the experience alive. I take from you 7 main lessons:

1. You taught me to live with another person…in the same room…and not lose my shit and/or kill them

Going into college, this was one of my biggest fears. Used to having a room all to myself, how would I be able to share space and privacy and still remain sane? What if she snores? What if she’s too messy; or even worse, too clean? The only person I felt comfortable sharing a room with was me. Besides myself, only family and closest friends had seen me in no makeup, modeling a full on bed head look. So thank you for letting me show all my sides (both good and bad) to someone else and feel comfortable and confident in doing so.

2. You taught me just how valuable coffee is

Thank God for Starbucks. With the popular coffee shop placed right in the middle of my library, I learned to turn to it throughout all hours of the day for a daily dose pick-me-up. In the mornings for a Caramel Macchiato, the afternoons for a Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher, and one too many nights for a Chai Tea Latte. Without showing me the comfort my cup of joe could bring, my A’s would most likely be C’s, so I owe it all to you.

3. You taught me to rely on myself

Without my parents by my side, you taught me the tricks of the trade... after a little trial and error of course. For starters, like how to do laundry correctly; after having my solid colored t-shirts turn to tie-dye from the hot water mistake. Secondly, I couldn’t yell, “Mom! Where are my shoes?”, instead I had to actually physically look for them. And when supplies ran low, no longer could I text my parents to stop by the store. The trek to Walmart was my only option. But despite the draining effort I had to put forth, thank you for showing me what responsibility is and instilling in me a touch of pride for getting the job done, even if it wasn’t done the perfect way mom did them.

4. You taught me how to live without my car

My car, my baby that I used the entire summer of my senior year, was gone because of you. This was probably the only thing I would hold a grudge with you on. But I lived, as you taught me to use my legs, even when the thought of walking from one side of campus to the other seemed unbearable. Fighting through the exhaustion, I always got where I needed to be, and definitely got my 10,000 steps out of it.

5. You taught me to be healthy…somewhat

Freshman 15…maybe 1st semester…actually yes 1st semester, but 2nd semester you pushed me to get my shit together. Dinning hall food getting old, you prodded me to be smart with my food choices. You showed me how to balance the good and bad. If I were to have Chanello’s cheesy bread and Campus Cookies one late night, I would limit myself to only Cookout Quesadillas the next night. ;)

6. You taught me how to hold down my alcohol and take care of those who couldn't

On Thirsty Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, you taught me how to have a good time... and to stick to the beer and stay away from the jungle juice. And I learned from you that with alcohol comes responsibility, as well as the lack thereof. Therefore, taking care of those who had a little too much to drink was priority #1, providing munchies was #2, and sleeping in until 1 in the afternoon the next day was an absolute given #3.

7. You taught me how to embrace myself and be proud of who I am

I could be whoever I wanted freshman year and you helped me embrace that. Thank you for showing me how to be confident in my own skin and letting me let go of insecurities that were holding me back in high school. I was able to live life in the manner I wanted and was accepted for who I was as an individual, not what group I belonged to or what my level on the popularity pyramid was. Thank you for showing me all you did freshman year, but especially the importance of finding myself, taking hold of that, and owning it. Thanks for introducing me to a self I’ll always remember and memories I’ll never forget.