After I take those finals, my first year of college will be over.
It went so fast. It's kind of insane how fast time flies when you're not paying any attention to it. I didn't think this year would go as speedy as it did, but boy did it fly. And now, it's pretty much over.
It has been a year full of surprises, new experiences, and new memories. If there's anything I want to tell anyone coming into their first year of college next year, it would be these things:
It's scary. There's no doubt about it. Whether you're leaving your hometown, or staying around, either way, it's a big change in your life and there's no doubt about it. You're not in high school anymore, you're on your own (not really, but you know what I mean). It can be truly terrifying, especially moving away from home. Moving away from home means moving away from everything you knew and all of your familiarity. That's something I didn't really grasp until I was gone. And some people are absolutely okay with moving away from home, others not so much. Me, personally, I went to Chicago for school, disliked being away from home, so then I transferred to a school closer to home with more familiarity around me -- and let me tell you, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. So, college can be scary, but you need to be able to do what you want to do. It's a time to be selfish by looking out for yourself and doing what's best for you.
College is also a huge learning experience, and not just in the classroom. From one year in college I felt like I've learned more about life than I did in those prior four years of high school all combined. It's bound to happen. You're exposed to so many new people and new things, that you're bound to learn more about life and more about yourself.
This first year of college has been one of the most stressful, yet crazy-fun times of my life thus-far. There have been tears, there have been stomach-aches from laughing so hard, and there's nothing I would change.
So, to someone who's reading this, about to graduate high school and gearing up for their first year of college: make the best of it. Make the best of everything you can, study hard, because yes, school is extremely important, but also have fun. Meet new people, get involved, try new things, be careful, be smart, and look out for yourself. College is a fun time, but also an important time. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, though. And enjoy, because before you know it, your freshman year will already be done and over, just like that.
