Dear Fall Semester,

It's about time we end things. This has gone on long enough and, truth be told, no one really likes you anymore. You were really cool at the beginning; every day was another day of excitement, nice weather, and positive learning experiences. But then you started getting on my nerves. I expended so much time and effort but wasn't as satisfied as I had hoped to be. There were disappointments, weather colder than I cared for and learning experiences I wish I hadn't gone through.

It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Lots of fantastic things happened to me this semester. I saw my articles published online for the first time as a writer for Her Campus. As a teaching assistant, I got to work alongside a really cool instructor while getting to know the students in my class. I became the Editor in Chief who launched Odyssey at Stony Brook University. I took a fantastic class on technology assessment that introduced really interesting concepts that were actually applicable to everyday life. I passed my tier one boxing class alongside my fellow female boxers.

At the same time, there were a few occurrences that I'd really hate to relive. Computer science gradually became an uphill battle for me, as I did everything I could to make sure I didn't end up falling off that hill - a hill that will probably hurt my already injured GPA. Once in a while, I found that the effort I put into studying for an exam didn't equate to the grade I received. And let's not forget about registering for spring semester classes - a disaster of a roller coaster ride I'd like to have the good fortune of never repeating!

Can we just agree that you didn't always have my best interests at heart? Sometimes it was like I only had myself to count on. Admit it - you had no problem giving everybody a bitter taste of crappy luck here and there. Maybe you thought you were doing us a favor by helping students bond over their endless complaints about school. Or maybe it took the grueling experiences to teach us something about ourselves or for us to really grow as students. I guess that's kind of nice of you. I did meet some new people I wouldn't have met if it weren't for you. But you're not off the hook just yet.

I'm going to cut the whole, "it's not you, it's me," nonsense because here's the thing: I was the warrior in all this while you tried to be everyone's lovable little Trojan horse. We welcomed you into our lives, eager to put our best foot forward and end on a high note. Some of us watched in horror as you, the fall semester we thought would help us reclaim success, allowed some of our efforts to go in vain. Some people weren't even that lucky!

Nevertheless, I'm ready to leave those challenges behind. I overcame everything that was thrown my way though some obstacles required more time and attention than others. You were a worthy adversary, but the spring semester awaits me and everyone else. I have great classes to look forward to. I will have more academic experiences that can highlight my talents. We can only move forward and hope that we didn't leave yesterday with regrets. We can only learn from our mistakes rather than dwell on them. We can only be thankful that your life is just about over while we still have many more years to come.

I'll remember you as my favorite frenemy because at least you didn't talk crap behind my back. At the end of the day, I know I tried my best every step of the way, and I know many other students can say the same. We all have you to thank for presenting us with many trials and tribulations just as we all have you to thank for presenting us with great opportunities and rewards. Bye, bye fall 2015. Parts of you will be missed.

Sincerely,

A College Student