Goodbye freshman year. Goodbye to all the memories I made throughout your months. From the stresses of move-in day, to surviving my first night out, to persevering through my first finals week, I would say that I have no regrets. When I think about all the memories I made since that first fateful night in August, I smile because I remember all of the decisions that turned into hilarious, yet great, stories and all of the people I have met. The months have all blurred together and all of a sudden I'm one quarter of the way done with "the best four years of my life." Even though I may not remember every single moment of the past nine months, the ones I do remember are not going to fade from my memory anytime soon.
Goodbye to all of my professors. I have to say, when you told me that your class would not be like my high school courses, I doubted you. Now, I understand what you meant. Along with all of the material you taught me, you also taught me that attendance might be optional, you're not afraid to fail me, you won't nag me if I forget to submit an assignment (you'll just give me a zero) and trying to apply your material outside of the classroom is vital to my success. While I found this hard, especially when I couldn't understand what some of your readings were saying, I'm thankful that you taught me what my college classes will be like over the course of the next three years.
Goodbye to my classes. Some of you were hard, and some of you required minimal work. To the ones that caused me a few tears, thank you for teaching me why I need to pay attention, and actually attend, class. If I'm being honest, I probably cursed you out a few times in the comfort of my dorm room. You made me realize that staying up all night before a test is doable, but extremely unwise if I want to be a functional human being. For this reason, I can't wait for you to finish in a few weeks. Also, to my easy classes- thank you for existing and making me feel like I'm a genius.
Goodbye to my dorm. When I walked through your halls, I did not know what to expect. I did not know anybody that inhabited your rooms, how many comfortable chairs were in your lounge, how thankful I would be for your large bathroom stall at the end of a night out, or that you were going to introduce me to my best friends. I remember thinking that you were so big and confusing, but now I could not imagine living anywhere else. You taught me what it is like to live with someone else in an 11x15 room (which is actually a lot bigger than it sounds) and how much I would miss living with my roommate. While your fire drills came at the most inconvenient times, it was funny to see who you had woken up from their midday nap or who had been mid-shower. I consider your walls my home, and will be sure to pay a visit next fall.
Goodbye to my friends. This is definitely my most bittersweet goodbye, but not really a goodbye at all. I know that we'll keep our group chat alive during the summer to keep us updated on each other's lives. I know that we'll still share inside jokes and bring up stories to keep our freshman year alive. I know that I'm going to Instagram pictures of us, just 'cause. More importantly, I know that I'll miss you guys tremendously. I'll miss not being able to walk across/down the hall into your room at any point in the day to either vent, eat food, or sit on your bed while you do work. Thank you for making my freshman year the best year of my life thus far, and I can't wait to see what we'll do next year.
So, goodbye, freshman year. Thank you for all you have taught and given me over the past nine months. And to sophomore year, I am (maybe) ready to handle anything you throw at me.
