It's crazy to think how fast this year flew by and how much happened within its span. I can honestly say when I first came to college, I was hit by a mixture of emotions: excitement, nervousness, curiosity and a lot of questions. The K-12 years were over, and this was an entire new world. I didn't know what exactly I expected, but I also knew that the college experience was a lot more than what I could have imagined.

Now that the end of the year is almost here, I'm able to reflect on everything that has happened and share what I took from freshman year.

For one, you learn so much more about yourself as an individual and grow more independent in general. Living away from home and my parents was definitely not the easiest thing. Aside from missing them in general, I was basically on my own for cooking, cleaning, and learning to get around. Even though I knew they were only a call away, I had to realize that there was a lot that I had to do myself. Throughout the year, I saw myself growing up and found myself looking into new clubs, interviews, jobs, and various things on and off campus.

Aside from learning and growing, I also got to really get an amazing campus experience. I met new people who I was so lucky to get close to, and I also had a great group of friends to tackle on each day with me. They let me with so many great adventures and memories. Whether it was parties, events, spontaneous food dates, impromptu road trips, or just chilling with them somewhere, I wouldn't have traded it in for the world.

Despite all the good that came from freshman year, there were lows, too. I did lose some friends I never thought I would lose, or distanced from people that once meant a lot to me. I also came face-to-face with a new educational lifestyle, where teachers did not do the work for you. It was me who had to put in time and effort. There were grades that I was not proud of, and times spent studying that (or, in my case, not studying). There were even times when I wasn't sure if this school was the right school for me!

But as a message to everyone coming into college or leaving their freshman year, or just to people reading this to gain a reminder or understanding of what freshman year is like, I have to say that at the end of the day, I am so happy I go to this school and there is so much that happened that I cannot be thankful enough for.

I am so grateful for all the experiences, for all the ups and downs, for all the times I cherish and the times I can look back and say, "wow. Look how far I've gotten."

So here's to my first year of college. Here's to all the late nights, sleepovers, endless laughter, dining hall runs, exam stresses, inside jokes, random adventures, and new lifestyles. I can't say it was exactly what I expected in the beginning, but I can say it was something special.