Back in August, you could say I was terrified to come to college. The months prior to that were full of exciting adventures with high school friends, college shopping with my parents, meeting my roommate online, and simply enjoying life. But the excitement finally settled down and reality set in. In just a few short days my life would be completely changed for the better, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy. Picking your whole life up and moving away from home isn’t an easy change, but it is definitely something that is possible. Now look where I am… three weeks left of the semester accomplishing things that I never would’ve imagined myself doing.

I can’t even fathom how my freshman year is coming to an end, but in just a few short weeks it will all be over. This year has taught me so much about myself and the people around me, as I met many new people and continued growing my friendships from home. I allowed myself to branch out and become the person that I want to be, and I made myself become more focused and committed to all of my school work. Freshman year has given me a preview of what the next few years will be like, and it has enabled me to set a grounding for my future.

Looking back at the past few months, I really can’t thank everyone enough. Each person that I even spoke one word to contributed to helping me get to know myself better. Thank you to each person that I met on day one, which made me feel welcomed at my new home for the next four years. Thank you to my friends that spent many late nights walking around campus with me just to clear our minds. Thank you to my professors for furthering my knowledge and helping me to grow as a student. Thank you to my parents for enabling me to have this amazing opportunity to be successful. And thank you to my friends from home for keeping me sane when I just needed someone different to talk to. Without all of you, I wouldn’t have been as successful in this first year of college as I am now.

College is a whole different ballpark from high school, and it is nothing like what I ever imagined. But the past few months have been a journey that I will never forget. When August comes around again, it will be round two to keep furthering myself and my success. Now that I know how this whole college thing works, I can’t wait to keep moving on. As much as I want summer to last forever, I will also look forward to returning in the fall. College is definitely an experience like no other, and I am beyond grateful to have had these opportunities to become the successful woman that I want to be.

So with this, cheers to freshman year. Thank you for teaching me a lot about myself and the people around me. Thank you for creating friendships that have picked me up when I was down and thank you for showing me what college is all about. Freshman year will surely be missed next month, when it all comes to an end. Bring on summer vacation and sophomore year!