I can’t believe my first semester of college is over. It feels like time has flown by, but at the same time, it feels like it couldn’t have moved slower. College was harder than I thought it was going to be. But not for any of the reasons I thought. I thought for sure the school part would kill me, or maybe the part where I had to be on my own for the very first time. No, the hardest part was (and still is) finding out where you belong. I was in a band for eight years. I’m not in the band anymore, and that’s really difficult for me, because my friends have always been “band people”, or I have met friends through “band people”. I’m not saying I don’t have friends at school because I do, really wonderful friends that I’m extremely thankful for. But, I feel like something is missing. At the same time, I’m involved in so many different things, things I could have never experienced in high school. Another unexpected twist was that I never thought I would miss home so much, I’ve always been the person who’s not afraid to leave, that is until I actually leave. Then, I miss it more than I had ever thought possible, mostly because I didn’t prepare myself for the inescapable yearn for normality, to have routines. At home, I know where I fit in, I know who my friends are, and I know how things work. At the same time, I miss being at school when I’m at home. I think a lot of freshmen (whether it be college, high school, or even sixth graders) feel this, and that’s normal. No one is going to be able to enter a situation completely adjusted, and if you’re one of those people, please tell me how you do it. That’s important to remember, every freshman is going through that same thing. No matter what they say or post on social media, they are not perfect, they are not 100% adjusted, that’s just not how humans work. My first semester of college was not the happiest time of my life, but it was one of the most important times of my life, that’s something I have to remind myself of. I am a better version of myself, and I have accomplished more in my first semester of college than I ever accomplished in my four years of high school, because the number of opportunities that are available has greatly increased. Now that I reflect on it, the first couple months of any year are difficult. It takes us four months to get into a routine, and the end of winter/beginning of spring always seems so much smoother, whether it’s the weather or just our bodies being adjusted. Take everything one step at a time, and take time to reflect on how much you have accomplished. I’m proud of myself for pushing back harder each time life tried to push me down. So, second semester, I’m ready for you and anything you might bring.