When they said freshman year of college goes by faster than you think, I never thought it would have gone by this quickly. Looking back at my first year at Grand Valley I have so much to be proud of, happy about, laugh at, and maybe even cry a little about. My freshman year may have been an emotional roller coaster; however there was so much learned, both inside and outside of the lecture halls.

With that being said, here are 16 lessons that I learned my freshman year, that I believe are very valuable:

1. Sleep any chance you get. Sleep in the afternoon if you want, or in between classes, or even on the bus. Sleep as much as you can, the completely sleepless nights are on their way and you will 100 percent regret all those naps you refused to take as a child.
2. Filter your list of friends. Find out who does not look for you when you are not there and start calling them acquaintances. Find out who would go out of their way to make sure you are okay, and keep them. You do not need to have as many “friends” in college as you had in high school. I have the greatest group of friends at GV and I know who is actually there for me.
3. Accept and embrace change…however good or bad a situation is now, it will change. Change is the one thing you can always count on. So embrace it and realize that everything happens for a reason. This is a motto I live by. It will not always be easy or obvious at first, but in the end it will be worth it.
4. Take pride in what you look like. Looks are not everything, but confidence helps. Invest in red lipstick, wear a skirt to class, rock a dress and heels…when you look good, you feel good. If you are happy with what you see in the mirror, then that is all that matters!
5. People will never know how you feel unless you tell them. That cute guy you have not talked to because you are too shy? Yeah, you guessed it; he hasn’t given you the time of day simply because you have not given him the time of day either. In life, you have to communicate with others. Often, you have to open your mouth, put yourself out there and speak the first words. You have to tell people what you are thinking; it is as simple as that. Speak now or forever hold your peace.
6. Take “love” out of your daily vocabulary. You do not “love” your Netflix series that you are addicted to; you really like it and you think it is great. You are not in “love” with all of your friends. You are also not in “love” with the guy you just met. You do not need a relationship all the time; it is okay to be alone! You will find the right kind of love someday, just take the time to let it develop and do not rush into relationships. Guys will come and go, but what is most important is that you love yourself as an individual before someone can love you as well.
7. Your natural fears of failure and embarrassment will sometimes stop you from trying new things. But you must learn to rise above these fears, for your life’s story is simply the culmination of many small and unique experiences. The more of these experiences you have, the more interesting your story gets. So seek as many new life experiences as possible and be sure to share them with the people you care about. For simply not doing so, is not living.
8. FOMO is a real thing. You will have a Fear Of Missing Out, especially at school. I learned this when I lived in a different building then some of my friends. But you need to understand that it is okay to miss out on things. Whether that is missing out on a party, or not doing a group study session, because lets be real…when do those actually work out and you’re all productive? It is okay to be alone sometimes! You will be surprised how much you can accomplish in a short amount of time alone.
9. It is okay to not know what you want to major in right away. But remember--the right career choice is based on one key point: finding hard work you love doing. As long as you remain true to yourself, and follow your own interests and values, you can find success through passion. More importantly, you will not wake up several years later working in a career field you dread every single day, wondering, “How am I going to do this for the next 30 years?” So, if you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, do not stop. You are onto something big. Hard work is not hard when you concentrate on your passions. I learned this when deciding if I want to keep my major as athletic training or switch to something else, I know I need to find something that I am both passionate about and truly love doing, and I am confident that my new major and minor will lead me in that direction.
10. That boyfriend you had in high school/summer before going away to college that you thought you could not live without…yeah you do not really need him. There will be a whole new sea of interests at school, and you will be surprised whom you meet.
11. Writing your thoughts, feelings and memories down right away is actually a really good idea, because otherwise they could be put in the back of your mind forever. I am so glad I started writing again, because not only is it a stress-reliever but I also have something to look back at and remember all of my encounters and adventures.
12. Being you is the best person to want to be and to actually be. You are inherently valuable. You have worth. You do not need anyone else’s opinion on who you should be! You are uniquely you, embrace it and love it!
13. It is okay to cry. It is okay to let out emotions, it is better to let it all out than to hold it all in until you break! You will be stressed. Stress is natural. However, it is also not okay to let stress control your life! Find a stress-reliever, do something to make you happy. Also, never be afraid to call home and talk to your family. My FaceTime calls with my family are what helped me survive freshman year.
14. Set goals. I cannot stress how important it is to set goals and have a focus and direction in life.
15. Real independence is found in being comfortable on your own without needing someone with you to stabilize you. In college, independence is pretty much forced upon you whether you like it or not, and you can choose whether you want to shrink away from it or grow because of it. It will all be okay eventually!
16. Take the time to enjoy life where you are. College only happens once, do not wish it all away to live in the “real world.” You will find a husband; have a family and a career of your dreams eventually. Just let everything play out and enjoy the ride.

The list of lessons learned could go on and on, it still blows my mind that I am sitting here reminiscing about what I learned my freshman year of college as I prepare to enter my sophomore year in just about a month! I spent so much time anxiously waiting for my college career to start, and it is crazy to think it is already a quarter of the way over. The only advice I can give is to enjoy every moment of your freshman year, because before you know it you are going to be lying on the floor of your packed up dorm room, crying your eyes out and wondering how you could ever call anywhere else home.