Those freshman year jitters — yeah we all get them. That being freshman year of college. The change to all new classes, teachers, friends, living in a dorm, and pretending you know how to adult. This change happened the summer before my freshman year at Indiana Wesleyan University. Coming from a small town and getting ready to go to a school where I didn't know anyone was the scariest part of the change.

The summer before, I spent countless hours making checklists of everything I would need for my dorm, talking to my roommate — who I still talk to today and her name is also Haley (yeah random roommates freshman year do actually work out!)

IWU doesn't start until Labor Day, so even after all my friends had left for school, I was still at home freaking out. When move-in day came, I was so nervous about how everything was going to go. When my parents left and it was just Haley and I, the nerves set it in. Thankfully, I am apart of the IWU Track and Field team and meeting with teammates helped ease these nerves.

as I am getting ready to start my junior year at IWU, I see how far I have come since that freshman year. I can't wait to be back on campus with all of my friends. Freshman year, I took two carloads of stuff for my dorm. This year, if I fill one car with stuff I will be shocked. The nerves are all gone and the excitement of being back has taken its place. Just last week I went to campus to meet with the new track coach and some of my teammates who have become some of my best friends. Being back on campus for that one night just increased my anticipation to return to school. Freshman year me would have never wanted to go to IWU for the day to meet or talk to anyone. Now I wish it had been longer than a day, even though I know school starts in a month. Those freshman year jitters go by really fast and the jitters of excitement begin to set in as I begin to pack for another year of school.

They say college is the best four years of your life. And while it may start in a nerve-wracking way, it turns out to be all right. Don't let those freshman year jitters get to you. Breakout out of your comfort zone and you will be surprised at how exciting college can be.