A reflection of my freshman year:

My freshman year of college is a year I'll never forget. It was a year of hardships, new beginnings, new friends, and new experiences.

The day I moved in, along with thousands of other freshman, was definitely one to remember. I was moving into a triple suite, completely terrified, but excited at the same time. Six girls, three rooms, and one bathroom -- this was about to get interesting. We all unloaded our unnecessary amounts of clothing into our new closets, and everything we had been planning to bring for months into our new home away from home together. It was definitely a lot to take in at the time, but I couldn't have been happier with the people I ended up with. Leaving my family that first day was interesting and pretty surreal, because it was one of the first moments I had where everything sank in. I was in college, I was officially an adult, and I was now going to be living on my own.

My freshman year overall was challenging, to say the least. Starting the year off with a breakup with a longtime boyfriend didn't help the huge adjustment by any means. However, looking back, I know that, because of it, I grew stronger than I thought was possible. I was on my own, which took some getting used to, but the friends that surrounded me and the adventures we had together helped me and will always stay with me. Undoubtedly, that is one thing I’ll cherish the most about the year.

I'll be honest, the whole "school" part of college is not even close to easy, but it is incredible how much I learned in my first year. The bonds I made with classmates and professors was remarkable. I think that is what made the late hours in the library worth it. You have to remember that these four quick years are for you, so make sure you only do the things that make you happy, are beneficial to your well-being, and what’s best for your future.

I had the opportunity to host a radio show with a friend, which broadcasts to the school as well as to the town. Everyone can also listen online every week on the web stream if they don’t live close by. We had such a wonderful time doing it and grew because of it (plus, by mid year, we were finally able to figure out the board with a million buttons and notches). I can’t wait to see what the show’s future holds for the next three years and the opportunities that come along with it.

One beautiful thing about college is you really learn a lot about yourself. You are surrounded with so many new people and new places. It's now your time to adventure out and learn. College is a time to finally focus on yourself and to find what's important to you. That’s exactly what I did; for the first time I was focusing on myself and things that benefited me. It’s a time to find what makes you happy and to do things you love. It's the first time in your life where all you have to care about is yourself, so don’t be afraid to be a little selfish. Not having to answer to anyone and being free to do what you please is an exhilarating feeling, believe me.

This wasn’t just learning more about myself, it was also a time for me to learn about others. Which essentially meant some harsh truths were eventually discovered. I learned things like people will never care for you as much as they do for themselves. You’re the only person who truly has your own best interest at heart. Always keep a little guard up, because you may have a better heart than someone else and you don't want to get hurt.

Overall, my first year of college was great. It was a year with many changes, laughs, and memories that I’ll remember forever. It was a year of learning about myself as well as others, and the knowledge I gained is something I will always keep with me.

Freshman year, thanks for the memories, and sophomore year, here I come!