Well, that's a wrap on freshman year. It is crazy to say that I have already completed my freshman year of college. I know this probably sounds cliche and that most articles like this start out in this manner, but it is truly amazing to me to be 1/4 of the way done with my time at college.
Ever since I began watching Gilmore Girls in the seventh grade, I had wanted to go to Yale. Yes, I wanted to go to Yale because Rory Gilmore went to Yale (I may or may not have gotten a Yale sweatshirt for Christmas one year). I was a determined seventh grader, and from that point on it was all about school. At some point in high school I realized how unrealistic it was to get into Yale, and my dreams were sadly crushed. I got over it fairly quickly because I knew how much of a stretch it would be for me to ever get into an Ivy League; my grades in high school were good, but not that good.
Besides Yale, I had always dreamt about going away to school: where I would be going, who I would be living with, what I would be studying. The uncertainties fascinated me. Seeing my older cousins go away to schools like Villanova, Richmond, Charleston, and North Carolina made me more excited to figure out where I would go.
Out of all of the schools I visited, out of all the schools I applied to, and out of all the schools that accepted me, I made the decision to attend a school that always seemed to make me feel most at home when I visited. I had always felt a connection to this school, mostly because of its location. For years, my family and I have spent countless weeks of the summer in this small, beautiful state, surrounded by ocean and filled with amazing people. Committing to the University of Rhode Island was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I did not know what to expect going into my freshman year of college. I was incredibly nervous and anxious, as most people are, but part of me remembered that determined seventh grader who couldn't wait to go away to college. Remembering that part of me allowed more room for hope than anxiety when first starting out.
Little did that seventh-grade-me know, the beginning of the year would be quite rough for me; I became incredibly homesick. I never realized how much of a home-body I was until I got to school. I had never been away from home for that long and I think it just came as a major shock to me. I expected the distance to be hard, but not that hard. I would look to my friends from home and spew all of my feelings to them, not realizing that I was probably taking them away from the fun they were having. I am so grateful that they were all there for me and I knew they would be there for me regardless. But, looking back on it now, I realized I should have relied on them less to help myself grow and to let them find their own way at school and not having to worry about their homesick friend.
It would take some time, but after a little while at school I began to find my way and I found myself relying on my parents and friends less and less. I loved my classes and professors; I made some of my closest friends in my fall semester classes. I did pretty well my first semester. I even made the Deans List; that was really exciting. On top of loving my classes and getting more comfortable at school, I had the privilege of making some of my closest friends.
The friends I made at URI this year are such extraordinary and great people who I loved spending my time with. Every one of my friends are so different and unique in their own way. All of the memories we created this year will be cherished forever. Night drives, parties, dinners at Butterfield, listening to Adele while lying on the floor crying, nights in the library, trips to the beach, movie nights, and so much more. These are the memories that I will forever hold on to. The friendships I created this year were strong enough to make me overlook my rough beginning and put that in the past. My friends helped me become more independent and comfortable at school. Sure, I still missed home and I always looked forward to seeing my family every once in a while, but my friends helped me grow and enjoy living away from home.
This year was nothing I expected and more. I would not change a single thing from this year. Well, maybe I wouldn't have chugged a whole 5-Hour Energy right before my Nutrition final, but besides that I would not want anything to change, not even my rough beginning to the year. That time made me become stronger and more of an independent person. I will continue to grow and I know I will have a good group of people to help me do so. I cannot wait for sophomore year. I have a feeling that it will be an exceptional one.
