At the beginning of every summer, after I have been let out of school, I always think, "wow, this school year has flown by," because most school years do. But freshman year of college is different. It literally seems like yesterday I was at orientation trying to make friends. Or moving into my dorm and becoming best friends with my roommate. Now as I sit in the library planning out my finals in May, I can not help but wonder where this past year has gone.

It is weird because as an incoming freshman, you spend so much time before school begins planning and expecting your freshman year to go a certain type of way. But the truth is, your freshman year is not what you anticipate it to be. You do not anticipate all the challenges you go through such as struggling to meet people of ants infesting your dorm room. You can plan to coordinate your dorm room with your roommate, but after rushing two different sororities, your once coordinated room will be covered with tee shirts and canvases. Also, after a month or two of dorm life, no matter how much of a "clean freak," you are, your room will get messy. It is inevitable. Just accept it and let it happen. There are many unforeseen challenges and situations you will find yourself in.

Another lesson I have learned is that you are a reflection of who you surround yourself with. Going into college you might be making new friends for the first time in your life. And I am not going to lie, it is definitely a challenge being thrown into a new place surrounded by thousands of unfamiliar places. But the good part is that you get to choose who you hang out with and form your own friendships. Freshman year is a new start and new chance to meet people who will become a part of your life. You have to be careful to pick the people who will help you with all the challenges of college and make you a better person.

I think the most important thing about freshman year is the knowledge you gain about yourself. For the first time in your life, you do not have my parents around to help you with everything. You become more self-reliant and more self-aware. I have realized that I have matured so much. I now think about what I say before I say them and take responsibility for my actions. I have become more of a driven person. I take my future more seriously and put more effort behind achieving good grades.

As a whole, freshman year has been the most challenging year of my life. But it has also been the most rewarding. Looking back there are things that I would do differently but I will strive to make the most out of these next three years of college. I truly believe that some of the memories I have made as a freshman will stick with me forever. While I will not miss living in the dorm and the rules that come along with it, I will miss the good times I had in it and my awesome roommate. It is safe to say that I will miss freshman year dearly, but the best is yet to come!