Time flies when you are having fun. I find it extremely difficult to believe that just a year ago I was a senior sitting in a high school classroom eagerly counting down the days until graduation and summer. I had very mixed emotions about leaving for college and was unsure what to expect. Many thoughts and questions filled my head as I went to sleep on the nights leading up to move-in day. I knew college was going to bring new experiences, but I had no idea it was going to provide me with so many amazing memories, life lessons and incredible friends.

Now that my first year of college is complete, I would like to reflect on everything this year has been: exciting, difficult, humbling and exhausting. I have been able to learn more about myself than I could have ever imagined along with discovering what I am capable of achieving. I have mastered how to run off of a minimal amount of sleep, become creative on making food with only access to a microwave, wash a load of laundry but most importantly, balance academics while being involved within school. The opportunities I have been presented with since my journey began in August have been more than I could ever dream of.

College has allowed me to branch out and become the individual that I want to be. This was a major time for personal growth because for the first time you are on your own. College was a big transition and change, but the friends I surrounded myself with were the defining difference for me. They helped me through difficult times, and we most definitely celebrated the happy times. They were the people I could always count on for advice, someone to cry with, my workout buddies, the people I pulled all-nighters with during finals week and so much more. You guys know who you are. You often hear, “You meet your lifelong friends in college,” and boy, this could not be truer.

College is challenging and hard. There is no other way to say it. The workload and rigor of classes is unlike any classes I have taken throughout my academic years. In addition to that, there are many more distractions that come along with being a college student. With that being said, I have learned how to prioritize and manage my time in a proper manner. I had to find a good balance with academics and a social life. This year has allowed me to learn how to become a better student and understand where my priorities lie.

There are many people to thank for contributing to this year being one of the best. Thank you to my friends for being the individuals I can always count on no matter what. Thank you to my professors for furthering my knowledge, pushing me beyond my limits and helping me grow as a student. A huge thank you to my parents for enabling me to have the opportunity to further my education and for always believing in me. Without all of you and your support, I would not have been as successful with my first year of college.

People would constantly inform me that my time as a college student will fly by and to appreciate every moment. I didn’t believe them at first, but they were right. Don’t blink because before you know it, your freshman year is over. I never fully comprehended the statement, “college will be the best four years of your life,” until my first year ended. Freshman year has been one for the books, and I can’t wait to see what sophomore year has in store!