College is considered to be the most crucial years of your life. You're on your own, away from home, and forced to do things you've never done before. College is designed to shape you to be the person you want to be for the rest of your life. More importantly, it's supposed to shape you in four short years. For many, it can be stressful and scary, which is relatable: living on your own, making decisions you've never made before, and beginning a new life. If I'm being honest, college is pretty weird though. You're shipped off away from home expected to learn the things needed to live independently. The good thing about it, though, is that a lot of people experience it. Without it, we wouldn't be able to relate to each other.

One thing about freshman year of college, that helps it become the best years of your life, is that you and thousands of other people the same age don't know anyone. Everyone is considered to be the new kid. You are forced to meet people, which helps you quickly adapt to your new surrounding. In college, you meet so many different types of people you've never met before. And you meet so many people that you will develop connections with that will help you in the future. It's so important to meet people in college because that skill will help you later on in life when you're in the "real world."

College is full of experiences. Whether they be fun, not-so-fun, or maybe even illegal. The experiences in college are so unique though because they begin with the choices you make on your own. These are the times where you don't have your parents in your ear telling you what you should or shouldn't do. After a while, you figure out the best ways to get in or out of the best circumstances. College is a great place to learn how to judge yourself and your own decision-making skills.

Getting involved in college helps the whole experience. You're only there for four years, so you might as well be all in. Whether if that includes being involved in every club or going to all the football games. Especially at the University of Alabama, where every game day is a holiday. Personally, Saturdays in Tuscaloosa has exceeded my expectation for the whole college experience. Tailgating all day and winning every game does not get old. And besides the whole football thing here, there's also basketball and volleyball games that are just as fun to go to.

Isn't it insane that 4 years is supposed to get you ready to live on your own after you've lived with your parents for 18 years? Yeah, it can seem stressful, but somehow it all works. College is an experience that only a few people get to have. So if that's you, use your experience to the fullest. The most important thing I've learned from college is that you have to trust the process, and that success is not given, you have to work for it.