I don’t know about anybody else, but I am always excited for the first day of the new grade/quarter/semester. So in honor of going back to school, you can add this article to the ever growing list of personal First Day narratives.

Part of my ‘back-to-school’ ritual also includes finding my outfit ahead of time. But because I’m a huge procrastinator, I end up spending hours doing extra projects and when I’m finally done with everything and ready to do important things, it’s already 2:00am. There goes trying to start the year off right.

Waking up, whether it be for an eight a.m. or even one p.m. class is a struggle. It’s as if, knowing that we have school the next day, our subconscious forces our brain to produce some chemical that does not allow our body to get up in the morning. Luckily, it only took me three snoozes to finally get up, but I still ended up walking around with half a brain for an hour or two before I fully woke up. That certainly made conversations interesting.

After getting lost several times, finding my first classroom always feels like a victory. It doesn’t matter how many years of schooling you’ve had, nothing gets rid of the panicky feeling you get as you’re looking for room 506. After checking my schedule to make sure I had the correct room, I sit down and check it again to make sure I have the correct time slot. There’s nothing worse than finding out you have the wrong class. So by the time the day ends, your schedule looks like it’s been through war.

One look at the syllabus though and I’m almost wishing I had the wrong room. I tell myself not to panic. But when you look at how long you’ll actually be in the class and the (seemingly) endless list of assignments, book reports, and exams, you can’t help but do so. This is the point where I start looking for that smart friend.

After a cycle of freak out after freak out at the mention of every assignment and project, I notice the clock about to strike freedom. One person opens their backup. Then another one does. And soon enough, everybody is getting ready to leave and the teacher is pausing for attention, as they actually did not dismiss anyone.

Several more classes later, and finally it’s time to eat. Seeing as it’s the new year, several of my friends have now graduated and moved on, leaving, me to face The Cafeteria alone. Who you sit by can determine your social status for the year. Ha, just kidding. But that doesn’t change the nerves and butterflies in your stomach and your desire for your mom’s home cooked meals. At least she doesn’t force me to sit somewhere new.

Nothing can trump the feeling of finding friends. Whether they’re friends you made before, or new people you’re meeting because of a club or a class or a shared lunch space, having people besides you makes the entire experience worth it. (Remember to be open to new people on your first day, you may just be that friendly face someone needs.)

And while saying hello to friends is great, saying goodbye to them at the end of the first day is sometimes better. Not because I’ll get to retire for the day (seeing as I still have lots of homework to do) but because it means I can cross off the day on my calendar as a success.