As my freshman year of college comes to an end, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on the how crazy my life has been these past nine months. With the second season of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" having just been released on Netflix, I thought it would be best to use some gif's from the show to help illustrate the most important experiences I –– and probably most college students –– have had this school year.
1. Moving In
I knew moving into a dorm room would mean limited space, but it wasn't until I began to unpack all of my things that I actually realized how small my room was. Not to mention these rooms are for two people. While living in a residence hall comes with its struggles, my dorm definitely holds some great memories.
2. First impressions
Being that I had gone to the same school since Kindergarten, college was my first time at a new school. As most people are, I was nervous about making new friends. As one of the most awkward people on the face of the planet, I was trying to act as normal as possible so as to not scare everyone away.
3. Being myself
Of course, that didn't last very long as I started to get more comfortable around people and the true, awkward me was exposed. Thankfully, I was able to find people who were just as weird as I am. Now the problem is finding out how I'm going to survive the summer without them.
4. Independence
Moving away from home means more freedom. You can go wherever you want, whenever you want, for as long as you want. One of the freedoms I was most excited about was food. Don't get me wrong, my mom's food is everything, but my friends and I got a little too excited and ate out way too often.
5. Being broke
With all of the dinning out and grocery store runs, it wasn't long before I acquired the most stereotypical trait of a college student, being broke. I cannot tell you the amount of times all I've had less than $5 to my name. The broke life has taught my friends and I that sometimes eating caf food is less painful than only being able to buy $4 worth of gas for your car.
6. I'm smart, right?
For whatever reason, I thought joining my school's Honors Block would be an enjoyable challenge. Little did I know, I was signing myself up for the most difficult two semesters of my life. Before I was comfortable with my fellow honors classmates, I remember the first few weeks were all about making yourself seem smarter than you actually were. Trust me, If I learned how to do anything in high school, it was to fake it till I made it.
7. First presentation
One of my more embarrassing memories of this year was giving my first oral presentation. My presentation had a to be around, but no more than, eight minutes. Thinking I wasn't going to hit the time limit, I prepared an unnecessary amount of information. Well, I hit the eighth minute and didn't even get to my thesis –– way to go Me.
8. Exams
I cannot tell you how many times I have contemplated leaving the room and jumping off the third floor of the Humanities building while taking some of my exams. Sometimes it feels like no matter how many countless hours I put into studying, I just can analyze a text as deeply as my professor would like me to. But in the end, even if I don't finish the class with an A, I survived and I am leaving the class a better student than I was before, and that's the whole point.
8. Always being tired
There have definitely been those days where I feel like I haven't even had time to think. After having been to four classes, a meeting and a couple hours of homework, the only thing I want to do is nap and never wake up. But who am I kidding? This is my constant state of mind.
9. I am blessed
On those days where the workload just seems like it's too much and I feel like giving up, I try to take a second and remember how blessed I am. College is a privilege, and the fact that I get to spend another four years of my life studying in order to give myself a better future is an opportunity many people would kill for. Although it has been more challenging than anything I've ever done, this school year has definitely been the best year of my life. I've made so many amazing friends and have had some unforgettable experiences that make me so excited for what the future has to offer.
