When I got accepted into university, my family and I went on a mandatory tour of the campus. I remember being so intimidated because it was huge. I had some other colleges to choose from, but I went in with an open mind.

As soon as I saw the buildings and heard about the film program I would be a part of, I fell in love. After I made my decision, all I heard from people was one sentence...

"It's going to be the best four years of your life".

Except it wasn't.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't have the college experience from hell but it wasn't the best years of my life. At least I hope they weren't.

Freshman year was great. I made a lot of new friends, I liked all of my professors and I was excited about all the opportunities ahead of me.

I started struggling with my film projects, though, because I wasn't as qualified as everyone else. I underestimated how competitive the classes could be. Throughout the years, I got better (in my opinion) at making films, but I never thought they were the best.

What nobody told me about college was that I was going to lose a lot of people. I had a hard time coping with my high school friends moving on with their lives. Everyone wanted to be independent, and I didn't know how to do that.

I started to go to campus just for class and then I headed home immediately after. Throughout that time, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

I had panic attacks on campus, and I couldn't even sit through an entire class without getting up and leaving. It was the worst I've ever felt.

Luckily, I had some amazing people by my side that helped me through it. My whole experience changed, when I saw a flyer to join Odyssey. Writing gave me an outlet to share my stories and things I was passionate about. I also met my best friends through the organization.

Over this past year I have gotten closer to friends I know I will have for life, and I've grown spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

I will also be awarded my Bachelor's Degree in Television and Film Production in September. I don't know what's next for me exactly, the next four years of my life could be the best or maybe they won't be. We'll see.