It seems impossible that my college career has come to an end. When I was applying for colleges, Florida State was not where I pictured myself for the next four years. I wanted to go out of state, I wanted to go to a smaller southern school, I wanted to go off and find a sweet husband with a southern accent.

When I decided to go to Florida State, I was unenthused to say the least. I thought I was missing out on another opportunity, I was scared I made the wrong decision, I felt like I was settling. Little did I know that I was choosing the best four years of my life.

As I prepare to graduate in a few days, I can’t help but reflect on everything this incredible university has given me. As an individual, I have grown so much since the start of my freshman year (and no I’m not referring to the extra pounds I’ve packed on since my skinny little 18-year-old days).

I have grown as a student, as a member of a community, as a daughter, as a sister, and most importantly as a friend. I remember my first day of being in Tallahassee, after my parents unloaded all my stuff into my apartment and left me to fend for myself, thinking how terrified I was. Would I make any friends? Would I be miserable here? Would I do well in classes? But I’ve learned that although it’s normal to fear the unknown, the unknown is usually what ends up being the most exciting and rewarding.

This school means everything to me because it has given me so much. It gave me the best friends humanly possible. It gave me the best education I could have asked for, with the exception of that F I got in Greek Mythology freshman year. It gave me hardships that have turned into lessons learned. It taught me to push myself and to work hard. It taught me that being independent is a virtue, but leaning on others for support is vital. And it gave me enough memories and laughs to last me a lifetime.

This school is really something special. The community, the environment, the game days in Doak Campbell Stadium, the intense love we all share for our Seminoles, the brick buildings, the insane weather, the hot dogs from Mom & Pops. They’re all part of what makes this place so unique, but they are nothing compared to the friends I’ve made here at FSU. They are what I will think of 20 years down the road when I reminisce on my old college days. They are what I will miss the most.

The thought of waking up and not being able to go walk around Landis Green, or live 2 minutes away from Madison Social, or take a swim in the Westcott fountain whenever I want, or get to live with 44 of my best friends in my sorority house makes me so incredibly sad. But it also makes me realize how lucky I am that I have something that is so hard to say goodbye to.