Here we are, the last week before the last stretch of the year. This weekend will be my last reading period of freshman year. I guess it is time to recap this year before things get a little too crazy with cramming for finals, writing my final essays for classes, and just trying to survive until the first full week of June when finals are.

This year has been a crazy mess that has been enjoyable, yet horrible. My first and second term here were definitely learning experiences. I came from a college preparatory school, and don’t get me wrong, I was ready for the college classes, but I wasn’t ready for everything else: the ample opportunities I had to grow, the sports scene, all the different types of people I could make – the list goes on and on, and I have somehow adapted pretty well, in my opinion. I mean, I am far happier than I ever was in high school. Maybe because the people here aren’t as childish as they were back at home, or maybe it is because I don’t have to be surrounded by the same people every single day. Or maybe it is because I can nap every single day… Who really knows?

The journey has been a little bumpy, but that is how life is. You just have to keep crawling or jumping over each bump and stride towards the bigger goal, which for me right now is determining a major. By the beginning of third term, I have finally gotten my shiznitz together and am not panicking all the time over needless issues. I have learned to accept that everyone here is far too touchy for my sarcastic attitude, but I don’t really care. I don’t have to change my ways for them. I feel like some people need that person that is only sarcastic and breaks them out of their ‘sensitivity shell.’ Sorry kiddos, things will be brutal if my sarcasm is the only sarcasm you have been exposed to.

The course work isn’t too hard here, but very time consuming. Be prepared for late nights that you weren’t exactly prepared for in high school. Don’t fall behind, because there is really no catching back up, like in high school. There is not enough time in a week for that. Prepare for missing your home, your family, your friends, and your pets – your pets most of all. And most of all, be prepared for change. You should only grow during college. You should not be the same person you were in high school by the time you graduate college, or else you really aren’t learning anything new.