I've learned a lot in college, how to read and interpret novels in early American and British literature, how to speak a foreign language well enough to hold a brief conversation, how certain chemistry concepts work and are identifiable in a lab setting... the list goes on. However, theses aren't the only things I've learned, and I think it's easy sometimes to forget that.

College is a place to find out more about whatever subject you want to pursue after graduation, and yet, these educational concepts are the only things I've been taught. Some of the greatest lessons I've learned aren't always necessarily things that can be understood in a classroom setting. I've learned more about kindness, responsibility and independence, how to compromise and live with others, how important recycling is to our planet, and once again, the list really could go on.

When my first year of college started, I was a mess of nerves, scared about the classes I was going to take and the people I was going to live with. However, my classes didn't turn out all that bad, and my living situation turned out much better. Sharing one bathroom with seven other people doesn't sound like the greatest thing in the world, but it taught me just as much about compromise and time management as any planner might.

I've also been lucky enough to become friends with people that care so much about the future of our planet. Before college, as much as it pains me to say now, I didn't recycle in the slightest. I knew what it was (obviously), but I didn't actively participate in it. However, the friends I've made in the last two years have taught me all about how important it is, and now I am a proud recycling fanatic.

I have also been blessed to meet some of the sweetest people here, and they have shown me so much about how to be the best version of myself that I can be. They've taught me how to comfort others when exams get too stressful, and in turn, how to not let stress get the best of me, and I couldn't be more grateful.

College has also taught me how to balance classes, clubs, homework and exams, work, and a (however small) semblance of a social life. Getting a job this past semester has taught me how to juggle that in the mix too, and to be more responsible and gain better real world skills that I wouldn't otherwise have. All in all, I think that, while I still have a lot to learn, college has helped me to gain a level of independence and responsibility that I didn't have before.

Yes, college has taught me a lot about the subjects I'm interested in, and its taught me to enjoy and value learning now more than I have at any other point in my life, but its also taught me a thing or two about myself and those around me, and I truly believe that's just as important.