I’ve never learned more than during my first semester of college. Everything was different than I had imagined it would be. After years of being trapped in my small little town I finally got a fresh start and a new chance to look at the world in a way that I never did before. There is so much that I have learned from this new experience.

When people talk about how much they learned about themselves in college it always seemed so cheesy and unrealistic until it happened to me. College has allowed me to push myself outside of my comfort zone and try things that I either never would have tried at home or never had the opportunity to do. I have found myself in situations I never would expect myself to be in. I’ve learned that the person I was in high school isn’t fully the person that I actually am and that the things that in high school seemed so far out of reach aren’t actually that far. So many of the things that in high school scared me are now a part of my life and I’ve learned to be okay with these things. College has given me the opportunity to try new things and because of that I have learned so much about myself.

Before leaving for college I was really worried about not making friends. My whole life I had the same friends and never had to worry about connecting with new people. Once I got to college I learned that I was worried for nothing. I learned that leaving home and making new friends isn’t as scary as it seems. You have the opportunity to have a fresh start with new people and I learned to make the most of it. I also learned that getting homesick and missing the people that you grew up with is okay as well.

For everything that you learn in your classes in college there is so much more valuable information to be found in the entire college experience. My first semester of college has opened my eyes to a world of cultures and opportunities and even to myself. I wouldn’t trade the lessons that I’ve learned this semester for the world.