Dear Fall Semester 2018,

Well Fall Semester, we've finally reached the end. This semester feels like it's flown by and taken forever at the same time. I can't believe that I'm already halfway through my sophomore year of college. This semester has been full of ups and downs but I feel like I'm finally starting to get a hang of this whole "college" thing. Even though I may have struggled with certain classes this semester (Looking at you Biology), I'm extremely grateful for all of the experiences this you have given me. This semester has given me a roommate who has become one of my best friends and has turned into someone I can go to with anything. I'm also incredibly lucky that I was able to reconnect with all of my friends that I didn't get to see over the summer. The best part of college is the friendships and even though life can be overwhelming, it's your friends that make life fun. Between classes and practices, we might not have had as much time to hang out like we did freshman year, but at the end of the day, I'm incredibly grateful to have such a great support system. This semester has also made me realize that although grades are incredibly important, they are not everything. Some semesters are more difficult than others and just because you got a B+ or a B one semester does not mean that you are any less valid as a person. And sometimes staying up late with your friends talking and watching movies will take precedence over studying for an exam you have the next day. Life happens and you're not going to remember the nights you spent staying up studying, you'll remember the time spent with your friends. I've also learned that it's incredibly ok to not have it all figured out. Even though I may be a Marketing and Business Administration major, but I still have no idea what I want to do but that's ok. Everyone is on their own timetable and just because your best friend has known what she's wanted to do since birth does not mean that you have to feel the same way. Looking back on this semester since I moved in at the end of August, I've realized that through all of the trials and tribulations, life is mostly good. I might have cried a lot and complained a lot, but at the end of the day, I survived. Nothing lasts forever, which I guess is both a good and bad thing. So fall semester, thanks for another semester of late night talks with my friends, study sessions, and trips to Chipotle and Chick-Fil-A. You've stressed me out a lot but now it's finally time to take a little bit of a break from school and spend 6 days home with my family before heading back for basketball.

Peace Out,

MaryKate