Dear Winter Term,

Wow, you were really, truly, incredibly horrible. You put me through the ringer, and I am super annoyed about it, to be quite honest. From the Eugene robberies to the terrible weather and everything in between, I think I went through more than one person should ever really have to deal with in 10 weeks.

So thanks for being trash.

The other day, I was at dinner with one of my friends. We were just chatting about all that was to come in the spring when she asked me what my highs and lows were of this past term. I quickly named at least five or six different lows, yet I struggled for a few minutes to think of even one high. Personally, I find this to be extremely problematic. I couldn’t come up with one tiny, little thing that made me happy this past term.

The silver lining of this all would probably be the lessons I took away from it.

First, I feel incredibly grateful to the people I have surrounded myself with. I always knew I was lucky to have such amazing friends in college, but the hardships within the last few weeks showed all of us how important we are to one another and how we come together in times of extreme pain.

To my Gamma Phi ladies, I love you and I’m so proud of all of us for being the sisters we all needed. Each and every one of you inspire me.

The other main takeaway was the sense of resilience I found within myself. I’ve never had to bounce back from so much sadness in such a short amount of time, and I haven’t let it get me down yet. I’m still excited to go back to school after spring break, and I’m still excited for what’s left to come for me during my time in college.

When I look back on this term, I don’t feel anxious or sad to go back to school. There’s a lot left for me to accomplish, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting one off term determine how I feel about college. I’ve always loved school, and I always will.

'Sco Ducks, baby.

So, Winter Term, you may have been a real doozy, but I’m not letting you ruin my year. I’m stronger than you made me feel for 10 weeks, and I’m only coming out of this slump with more passion and perseverance than ever before. Even though you sucked in every possible way, I want to thank you. You ignited a new fire in my belly.

XO,

Sophia