With my freshman year of college nearly coming to a close, I thought it would be useful for me to reflect on a few things that I have learned and some ways in which I feel I have changed throughout the course of these past 8 months.

First, let me just say that time really does fly. People aren’t exaggerating when they say how quickly college goes by. Although I have only completed one year, it basically feels like move-in day was yesterday, and it’s scary. With that, one of the biggest things I feel I have learned is to appreciate every moment. I have also learned the importance of being present and taking nothing for granted, as things can and will change in the blink of an eye.

Since move-in, I have also learned to be far more independent than I previously was. Going into freshman year, I did think of myself as a rather independent person, but did not realize how I was in fact not so independent until I all of a sudden had to actually do everything for myself. There was no one there to tell me to go to bed if I was up too late, no one to shake me awake when I overslept, no one to remind me to do my work. It was all up to me, I had to make the decision every day to take care of myself and be productive, with no one to remind me of such.

I have also come to see just how important it really is to surround yourself with the right people. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “you become the average of the five people you spend the most time with,” and I have realized just how true this saying really is. Negative, toxic people are only going to bring you down with them, and those are vibes that I simply do not need in my life, nor does anyone.

Even though I have come across many of these people throughout these past couple months, I do believe that every person that has come into my life this past year has done so for a reason. Even if this person has had a negative effect on my life, each one has taught me a lesson in doing so, and instead of being filled with resent, I thank them for that. Everything is a learning experience.

Finding the right people to surround yourself with is definitely not a task that is going to be completely fulfilled in just a year, it is a process. With that, I have found the importance of having a support system to lean on when you are having a rough day. Quite honestly, I have found that sometimes turning to my friends in such times is not always enough to comfort me. In times like these, I realize just how much I have taken my family, particularly my parents, for granted, and wish I could magically teleport home for just for one big hug to make everything better.

The final, but also most important, thing I believed I have learned throughout the course of this year is definitely time management. I’m not trying to say that I have mastered the art of time management, but I for sure have realized just how important it is to plan out my work every day and set specific times for the various things I have to get done. I have learned that pushing things off is only hurting myself, as I am still the one who will have to deal with the procrastination needed to get my work done when I push things off to the last minute.

Overall, I believe that my freshman year has really been a wonderful, yet crucial time for me. I have grown so much in just a few months and I cannot wait to see what the next three have in store.