It is hard to believe that just 9 short months ago my parents helped me move into my freshman dorm. I remember opening the door to the smallest room I’d ever seen and wondering how I was supposed to live in this small of space.

Then I remembered I would have to share it with another person.

I remember saying goodbye to my parents. I remember crying myself to sleep for the first couple of nights, wondering how I would ever make it through the year.

And now we are here. Where has the time gone?

I sat in my last class of freshman year today, contemplating where the time went.

There were times when I didn’t think I’d make it through the week. Between practice, homework, tests, eating, sleeping, let alone socializing or relaxing, it often felt like there wasn’t enough hours in the day and days in the week.

But if there’s one thing I learned from college, its that things generally have a way of working out. That doesn’t mean you can lay in your bed all day (although tempting) and expect things to get done. It doesn’t work that way. But, it seems to me that if you buckle down and start doing things, they eventually do get done.

It isn't always fun, and most of the time you would much rather be napping, but things have to be done, and you have to take the initiative to do them.

College forced me to grow up in ways that I didn’t expect. Sure, I figured out how to manage my time, and I realized that you do actually have to wash your sheets, and then make your bed. The sheets just don’t magically become clean when you com home from school.

Groceries actually cost money, and dishes don’t clean themselves. Someone has to sweep the floor, and sometimes, the things you “cook” for yourself look nothing like the recipe on Pinterest. More often than not, its rice and vegetables in a plastic bowl. And I have learned to appreciate these things.

I have learned to appreciate these things because I have been able to do them myself. Growing up provides you with a sense of accomplishment, that you can do things by yourself without having to rely on anyone else.

There’s a sense of pride that comes from making a schedule for the day and sticking to it, to turning in papers before the due date, and doing laundry before you run out of clothes.

Sometimes, for a minute, you realize you do have everything together. And whether you like it or not, you’re growing up.

Because in the blink of an eye, nine months just went by, and you grew up more than you expected. You realized, that yes, you can do this.

The summer will come and go, and we will all be gearing up for another year. But this time, we will have a little confidence. Because we are ready for this. Ready to grow and prove to ourselves that we’ve got this.