Obviously college takes shape differently for everyone, but from what I've witnessed and experienced, it is not uncommon for college students to take advantage of their first real taste of freedom. You occasionally skip class, stay out too late when you know all too well that your 8 a.m. the next morning is going to be brutal and you've probably been spotted at various house parties and bars. What have these experiences left you with? Memories? Life lessons? Unforgettable people? Yes to all of those. I found my drug of choice during my time in college.

You could be thinking that it could be excessive amounts of alcohol, weed, cocaine, psychedelics, or something from that category, but it's not. My drug of choice can be found all over campus. It's evident in the way campus comes alive in the morning when everyone is rushing to class and guzzling down copious amounts of caffeine, it's there when your roommates become your best friends, and it's always going to be there when you find a professor that fills your head with thoughts of all the grandeur that this world has to offer you.

My drug of choice has had a severe, long-lasting affect on me. It has provided me with the opportunity to fall in love with my life and every little detail in it because of the people I've met and the opportunities I've been provided with. Until you take a minute to slow down and think about your time in school, I don't think that it's completely evident what the extent of your experience has meant for you as a person.

Your "highs" become more crisp and clear and as a result of this "drug" that you find yourself chasing. It leads you towards what you were meant to do and be. You find the hobbies you love, the people you adore and you discover where your passions lie. The sense of independence and freedom that comes with college can be overwhelming at times, that's where this college remedy comes in handy. It gives you the tools, people, support and life experiences necessary to keep moving forward and growing. It makes you hungry for more. By instilling in you this craving for people who make you feel full of life and an infatuation for experiences that challenge and inspire you, you will find yourself chasing that high, again and again.

If we're being honest, there is by no means a short supply of medicinal remedies to put you in a euphoric state in a college town, or anywhere in the world these days. My hope for you is that you find your own drug of choice during your life and I hope that it makes you a better person in the long run. Find and love the people who make your life exciting, make it be a little less painful, and fill it to the brim with adventure through the years. After you've found "your people," find your fun. What makes your life worth living and full of passion? If you don't know, go find it.

Thank you, college, for giving me the opportunity to experiment with life and find my metaphorical drug of choice. By creating the environment that I needed to find "my fix," I found my passions, my fears, my dreams and goals, my people, and most importantly, I found myself. My drug of choice will forever be the sense of a good, full life that can be found through the people I've met, the life I've lived, and the constant change within myself.