College is an extreme time of transition in any person's life. Moving away from home into a new environment, dealing with the stress of three-hour classes, making new friends, and adjusting to your new found freedom. I think the only reason the first two semesters of freshman year are bearable is because of the people you let into your life.

There are all kinds of friends you make at college. The ones who you've met at a party, those who have class with you, those who are going for the same major as you, and the select few who really really mean something to you. The people you associate with the first few months you're away at school truly make or break your college experience. Making new friends is not an easy task, but all the people you meet are in the same boat as you. They're anxious, nervous, excited, and determined just like you are. Anxious to be someplace new, nervous that they'll say the wrong words, excited at the possibility of making life long friends, and determined to make the most of their college experience. Just. like. you.

I once heard that the friends you make in college last a life time; that these are the people who will be at your wedding and baby shower. I think that is in part because of how many new "firsts" that you and your gal or guy pals experience TOGETHER. Finding your classrooms, dealing with dining hall food, and homesickness. Each of these should not be dealt with alone. Having friends that have your back and who truly appreciate you for who you are is a gift. That is also the beauty of college, being able to surround yourself with people who truly reflect who you are, who make you a better version of yourself, and who share the same aspirations and goals. College friends are just great.

So to my friends at college, thank you for your help. Whether it be revising an essay, picking out an outfit to wear to a formal, or being a shoulder to cry on when you just really miss your mom. Thanks for all the advice on boys and which professor to choose from, how to decorate my room, and for motivating me to go to the gym (lets be honest freshman 15 is a real thing). Thank you for eating cookie dough with me at 3 am, for laughing endlessly over things we shouldn't, for fueling my coffee addiction, for helping me study for tests, navigating the quickest ways to get around campus, enduring the shuttle with me, helping pick which sorority would be the best fit, letting me complain about everything and anything, always supporting my decisions, and for always being there for me. I can honestly say I wouldn't have survived these past semesters without you guys, and I am so happy to call you my family. You're stuck with me now, whether you like it or not!