When 25 college students were asked, “What is the most interesting thing that’s happened to you or that you’ve witnessed so far in 2016?” they were blunt, genuine, and creative. Yes, we only just got through January, but a lot can happen in just 31 days. Whether they have been traveling, spending time with family and friends before the start of second semester, or setting New Year’s resolutions, these college students were more than willing to give us a glimpse at their year’s highlight thus far.

1. “I committed to a bodybuilding competition." –Mariah, Arizona State University

2. “Late at night on a crowded bus, I saw a woman comforting her irritable baby twins by thrusting her gold iPhone 6 into their faces while it played Justin Bieber's music video from his hit 2010 song, 'Baby.'” –Clare, Siena College

3. “I’ve changed my life by quitting drinking.” –Josh, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

4. “Well since I'm such a huge Pack fan it would definitely have to be the second Hail Mary pass of the season against Arizona to tie up the game and bring us into overtime!” –Bailey, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

5. “Well, I got my wisdom teeth out, so that's been fun. Most interesting thing of 2016 would have to be witnessing my brother-in-law kayak around St. Louis in the flood waters to see if he and a friend could help people in the area. It was pretty crazy.” –Claire, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

6. “I walked along a street called Abbot Kinney in Santa Monica, and everything was very expensive, and I felt uncomfortable in all the stores. Later I walked along Venice Beach where everyone was very welcoming and different. It seemed like no one cared how much money you have there, so I thought it was very interesting that those two places are only a few minutes from each other, but have such opposite vibes.” –Kellen, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

7. “Never thought I’d see the day I got drunk with my friend’s parents. Very cool night.” –Will, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

8. “So far one of the coolest things I’ve seen was a yellow seahorse wrapped around my finger while I was in Belize last week.” –Phoenix, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

9. “My mom finished chemo treatments, I went to Texas, and I’m changing my career path. Any of those work?” –Beau, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

10.“I got a new TV stand, and the boyfriend and I celebrated four years together.” –Colleen, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

11. "I'd say the most interesting thing I've experienced so far in 2016 is the relaxation and kindness of the English culture. From making enough room for each and every person on the tube, to smiling and acknowledging each other continuously to the overwhelming sense of the uniqueness of the individual yet the connection of everyone in this massive city. It's been eye-opening and breathtaking to see how people can connect and coexist so well with such little violence compared to home.” –Rachel, Marquette University

12. "I do remember two weeks ago my freshman roommate was really drunk with us at a bar and challenged two random guys to a $100 beer pong game and won.” –Mike, Northern Illinois University

13. “This absolutely blew my mind. Wisconsin state statute 851.19 defined a person in this way: 'Person includes natural persons, corporations, and other organizations.' Corporations and organizations are defined as people, and that’s crazy.”–Chris, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

14. “Blackhawks are going good if that counts.” –Danny, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

15. “I’d probably say randomly running into some old friends (who live in Iowa) at a random dive bar in Minneapolis a couple nights ago.” –Dan, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

16. “I stayed up from midnight until 7 a.m. watching 'Making a Murderer.' Then I napped from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Then I finished the series. So I watched 10 hours of Netflix in 16 hours.” –James, University of Memphis

17. “So far in 2016, I went down to Ruidoso, New Mexico on a service trip. It was such a fun and rewarding experience. I worked every day with this program where we gave adults and children with cognitive and physical delays, as well as blind and deaf children, a chance to participate/enjoy the sport of skiing. It was my first time skiing and being in New Mexico, and I made some incredible friends along the way.” –Ryan, University of Missouri

18. “I went and bought marijuana legally today.” –Xander, University of Colorado Boulder

19. “I was in the Chicago Greyhound station waiting for my bus for eight hours without my phone because I left it at home. I was so pissed at first without my phone, but it's amazing how much more you see without technology. I met all kinds of crazy people, and it was the best eight hours of the year so far! I guess it was a reminder of how you have to step away from the distractions of technology sometimes.” –Grace, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

20. “'We have to lie about our names!' my friend said. We felt bad for lying, but we were having a great time and laughing at the fact we lied and got out of it.” –Emily, Lake Forest College

21. “I did the Polar Bear Plunge!” –Sam, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

22. “As a whole, marriage has been the most interesting thing that has happened to me so far. Huge transition!” –AJ, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

23. “Probably being an arm’s length away from Kevin Jorgeson, the guy that free climbed the Dawn Wall last year at an indoor climbing gym in Utah.” –Alex, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

24. “I saw a man eat a frozen corndog.” –Chase, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

25.“OK, on New Year's Eve I went to a concert. The concert was amazing, and afterwards, we were exhausted and super hungry from partying for five straight hours in a dance hall packed with more than 1,000 people. When we finally got back to my house, it was 3:30 a.m., and without any of us saying a single word, we went into my kitchen, made two plates of nachos, and just sat on my kitchen floor eating nachos. We ate for like 20 minutes. No words. It was amazing.” –Drake, University of Wisconsin La Crosse

Whether college students are using this new semester as a fresh start or going through the motions like any other time, there are aspects to their highlights that anyone can take away from. I think it’s important to step back and pick out the highlights—big or small—and not just for the new semester, but for the whole year. It’s healthful to reflect on the present! What will interest you next?