It feels like just yesterday that I returned to campus freshly tan and ready to start my Sophomore year. Today I am packing my bags and saying goodbye to my pretty campus for another summer.

Sophomore year is interesting. You still feel like a baby who is too young to be on your own, yet you realize that you are one of the “older kids” to the first-years.

You have a sense of confidence since you already know the best place to study and the best time to get food. However, you still have so much to learn.

I am extremely shy and it takes me awhile to truly feel comfortable to break through my shell. After spending my first-year of college getting used to my surroundings, I was ready to truly be myself.

I was lucky enough to make a good amount of friends this year.

Not an overwhelming amount when you don’t know what group to hang out with, but a healthy amount when I’m not hanging out with my same two friends over and over and over again.

Making new friends this year allowed me to escape my comfort zone and go to more events.

Whether I was playing basketball (okay this really only happened once, don’t worry) or going to PetSmart to buy supplies for the fish I randomly won, everything was an adventure.

The difference between the friends I have made freshman year and the friends I have made sophomore year is that the friends that I have made this year are much more social.

These people have a crazy amount of friends that I can’t even keep track of. Despite my two best friends being extreme introverts, being friends with more outgoing people has allowed me to be more outgoing.

Throughout this whirlwind of a school year, I have somehow managed to learn that college is what you make of it.

If you spend your time constantly in your room removing yourself from society, that will most likely affect the type of friendships you create.

However, if you are friendly and open to meeting new people, you will most likely have a better experience.

I always catch myself counting down the days to some event. Whether it is a vacation, the next time I see my friends, or the end of a class, I am always counting down to something.

However, I am just now realizing that I am half way through college. Two years have come and gone in the blink of an eye and it is time to go through another two years.

Despite the peaks and valleys that come with being a college student, it is flying by.

I have learned a ridiculous amount of lessons throughout my sophomore year. I think the most important lesson though would be to cherish the moment.

Embrace every second you have, including the bad days. One day you’ll want these days back and wonder how you let them slip by so fast. On that note, here’s to the next two years.