It's that time of year, the time of year dreaded by college students everywhere: it's finals season. Exams, papers and projects are all due within the next week, which means that once students survive the week from hell the semester is over. Assuming I make it through finals week with minimal existential crises and mental breakdowns, my first semester of my freshman year of college will be complete.

The transition from high school to college was easier than I expected, though I still find myself missing everyone back in Frederick. I learned how to live with a roommate and had adventures with her. I realized just how different college courses are from high school ones. I'd like to say I'm starting to learn how to be an adult and live on my own, but I don't think I will ever accept the fact that I am legally an adult. I've stressed about trivial things like my printer not working and losing my earbuds for the tenth time that day while also stressing about bigger matters like how I was going survive my classes and if I would be able to make it through college. Looking back on the semester now, I realize just how quickly things changed and I adapted.

The past four months at WAC have gone by so fast. I have made so many new friends, found my group of friends that are my family, and have had so many adventures and memories with, and learned how to call Washington College (and Chestertown) home. I have ordered Domino's at midnight, went to a Waffle House that was an hour away for breakfast at 4pm, stayed up until 4 in the morning doing a paper and stayed up to the same hour laughing about memes and other things with my friends. I've made more trips to the Dollar Tree and Walgreen's than I ever did back in Frederick. I've become hooked on TV shows that I never watched before coming here. I've spent countless hours playing DragonVale World and worrying about what dragons to breed next when I should have been doing work. I have witnessed a Dungeons and Dragon campaign take two days because we all kept laughing. I have been scared by the ghost of Wicomico and haunted by Bee Movie memes and re-made trailer videos that I found way too funny. I've done an Escape Room, gone to a swim meet, and discovered a really bad boy band. But most of all, I have sat around and enjoyed the time I spent talking with my friends about anything and everything. And I wouldn't change any of it for the world.

I am excited to have completed by first semester of college and still be standing here to talk about it, but I am also sad that the semester has come to an end. It has gone by so quickly it feels like just yesterday I was moving in. I am excited for what Washington College has in store for me in the spring semesters and beyond that, but I am sad to leave behind this one. It truly has been one amazing semester that I will never forget.