I started my freshman year of college today...that's so strange to say. It feels like just yesterday that I was riding my bike home with my little brother from elementary school. While my first day of classes began today, I have been at school for a week. I came up early to attend the Leadership Institute and got to spend a few days getting to know people before I was thrown into this scary big thing known as college.

As I approached the lecture hall to attend my first class, I suddenly felt a wave of anxiety rush over me. I was five minutes late and the only open seats were at the very front. Usually I sit in the front anyway to help me focus, but for some reason I was terrified to approach the bottom rows. I grabbed onto the straps of my backpack tightly and mustered up the courage to take a step through the double doors, beginning the start of my college career.

I didn't expect there to be so many upperclassmen in my classes. A majority of them are 100 level classes, but even so, there were a few sophomores and juniors in them and it didn't scare me, but it definitely came as a shock. In high school, I was so used to being in class with the same people.

I didn't expect to get as lost as I did. Because I had a few more days on campus under my belt than the rest of the freshman class did, I thought finding my classes was going to be a breeze. But there I was, wandering around like a lost puppy in the middle of campus. I eventually had to ask a professor to help me. I was so stressed out because at this point I was running late. She was so nice and made me feel like things were going to be OK.

I didn't expect to see so many older people. When I say older people, I mean people over the age of 18. I was so used to being the oldest in the school as a senior. Being the youngest on campus now was a little strange. I was walking out of my dorm this morning and there was a twenty-something-year-old man just hanging out downstairs. I had to do a double take.

I didn't expect there to be so many parties. Yes, I know it's college, and that's what happens in college. I feel like every night there has been a different rager on someone's story or Instagram live. It's wild, man.

I didn't expect the professors to be so cool. Most of the teachers I've met so far have been so open. They treat the freshman like adults. I don't know, it felt really great to be treated with respect and talked to as equals with the upperclassmen in the class.

Maybe I was just naïve before coming to school, but these are some things I noticed from the first couple of days that took my new college brain for a spin. Class of 2022, here's to us.