Two years have flown by. Walking out of my new apartment, it hit me. I’m going to be a junior in college. A junior. I began to wonder where the time went because, trust me, time has gone by quicker than I could have ever imagined. As I’ve been thinking back on my first half, I realized where the time went. The time went into learning lessons that have shaped me into the person I will be and become these next two years.

I realized that sometimes you have to be bold. Whether that means walking into a hall mates room on the first day asking if they like to run or changing your major five times. You never know when those actions will lead to a best friend you can consider a sister or finding out your true passions through the classes you are now taking. However, being bold also means saying both no and yes to new challenges. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone in order to grow, yet other times, taking the stand to say no even when it’s hard is far more rewarding.

I’ve found in college that friends are easy to come by because you are constantly surrounded by people, yet the people you are willing to do life with takes time and effort. These true friends are the most rewarding kind. They will stick with you through the good, bad, and ugly, and they know you will be by their side at all times as well. Even though I’ve found that these friendships can be the hardest to keep sometimes with busy schedules, a weekly coffee date is sometimes the trick to staying up to date and in touch.

I’ve learned that you can’t always wait for life to come to you to start living. Sometimes you have to go out and find it. That might mean joining a new club or getting a pick-up game of capture the flag together with friends, or it might simply mean taking the time to sit in ENOs in a tree with friends. Whatever living might look like to you, don’t sit back and let life pass by. Take all the opportunities college has for you and don’t hold back.

So now what? I’ve lived a full two years at college. I’ve lived through the tears brought by college both happy and sad. I’ve lived through the classes I never thought would end and the moving in and out and in and out of dorms, houses, and now into my apartment. I’ve adventured and found friends I hold so dear to my heart. I’ve found a major I am truly passionate about. What might be next?

Next, I know will be more challenges and lessons learned, but I can only imagine what great things will be in store for this second half. So much can happen in two years. I’ve already been witness to that in this first half. So here’s to junior year. Here’s to the second half. I only hope that time slows just a little because I’m not sure I’m ready to be soon writing the end to my college story.