My finals are officially finished, which means my first semester of college has come to an end. Honestly, sometimes I still have to pinch myself: I can’t believe all the amazing that have happened not only this semester but also this year. So, in honor of finals coming to an end, as well as my first semester, I decided to get us into the Christmas spirit by sharing 12 things college gave me this semester.

Throughout this semester college gave to me…

Twelve oversized t-shirts. I mean, what else would a college student wear besides a shirt that is two sizes too big?

Eleven crammed all-nighters. I know personally that I am the queen of procrastination. Cramming it all into one night is the only way to truly get it all done.

Ten nights of laughter. Without the nights of laughing so hard that my stomach cramps, I wouldn’t have made it through the semester.

Nine new best friends. With every day that passes, we grow closer and closer. I am beyond thankful to have met all the amazing, new friends. College wouldn’t be the same without all of you.

Eight AM classes. After those nights crammed with studying or the nights we stayed up all night laughing, an eight AM class can feel like the end of the world. This semester has taught me how much sleep needs to be appreciated.

Seven binge-worthy shows. Instead of studying or doing homework, binge watching TV shows is always better.

Six Burger King dates. Shout out to my best friends; our BK dates always made bad days a little bit better.

Five mental breakdowns. Whether being overwhelmed with school, work, or just life in general, if anything, the mental breakdowns actually made me work harder.

Four almost failures. When your computer fails an hour before your homework is due or when you sleep through all three of your alarms and sprint to class, the almost failures are the worst.

Three types of stress. The kind that causes pimples, the kind that causes chest pains, and the kind that calls for an all-day movie marathon.

Two fabulous letters. One of this semester’s greatest gifts came in the form of a sisterhood: my sorority. I never knew how much two letters can not only mean, but also represent—a family.

One life changing experience. It was an experience filled with laughter, tears, arguments, jokes, and finally pure happiness.

So, after surviving these twelve wonderful gifts given to me from this semester, bring it on college. I am ready for anything.