Dear My Expensive Investment (a.k.a My College Years),

I am now in my last semester of my undergrad. I've spent the last four years learning many things and becoming who I am proud to be today.

Thank you for all of the memories you brought me. This was the first time I met actually genuine friends and people I can count on. I will always remember all of the memories I've made with them.

Thank you for letting me study abroad in Bath, England. I felt very really grateful to have had this opportunity. I know not many people get to do something as cool as this. I saw so many beautiful places and I'll always remember Bath.

Thank you for helping me grow into myself. When I showed up as a 17-year-old freshman, I was a sheltered goody-two-shoes. Don't get me wrong, I am still a goody-two-shoes, but I'm not nearly as sheltered as I was four years ago. I've come into myself in the best of ways. I'm more outgoing. I'm more confident. I'm more aware of myself and why I am the way I am. I'm more emotionally intelligent. I'm a better person. I'm more myself than I could've imagined being.

I went into college not knowing anything about life or the real world. The extent to which I've grown amazes me. I could've never imagined how much I would grow as a person. I went from being quite unaware of myself and how I affect others to really aware. I went from being super quiet and closed off to being a loud, open book. I went from being really low in self-esteem to being quite high (the highest I've ever been) in self-love and self-esteem.

When I look back at my freshman self, I don't recognize me. Not much is the same in regards to who I used to be. I'm still really studious and still very fearful of failure. But other than that, my personality has changed tremendously, in my opinion. In high school, I desperately wanted to be cool, but now I realize that being cool isn't even important in the slightest. I cared so much about how people perceived me and what their opinions were that I refused to be my genuine self. I hate that I repressed myself the way I used to in high school.

The person I am today is pretty great.
She knows what she wants and she's not afraid to fight for it. She doesn't care what people think so she is true to herself and others. She is ambitious and intelligent. She is self-aware and confident. She is mature and not afraid to speak her mind.

So here's to you, college, for being the real MVP. I know I wouldn't have gotten this far as an individual if it hadn't been for you. You truly shaped who I am. I am so proud of how far I've come, and a lot of it is thanks to you.