Ferris Bueller was right when he said his famous quote: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." It seems like just yesterday I was hanging on monkey bars, playing dress up and riding my bicycle around the neighborhood with friends. But life does move pretty fast, and here I am in the midst of my first semester of college.

Before setting off to college I had no idea what to expect. I had been awaiting the arrival of move-in day for years and was excited and nervous for what was to come. Now that we are mid-semester, I am starting to get the hang of things... for the most part. Here are the variety of things I have learned thus far.

Contrary to popular belief, learning communities are cool.

While it may seem rather odd to those who don't enjoy their learning community (a group of students in the same major who have the same core classes together), I particularly love my learning community. Believe it or not, many of my best friends I have made in college I met through my "LC" and a couple even went on to become my sorority sisters. One of my favorite traditions we have created is our weekly lunch after our learning community class.

Sometimes you don't get the grade(s) you want.

An obvious one. But it's true. It's not the end of the world though! College is more difficult than high school, you have to adjust and learn which study habits that are best for you. Didn't get the grade you want? Try another study method or focus more during class! It's easy to get distracted by your cell phone or laptop so put away both and hand-write your notes!

There are some things you just can't do anymore.

Oh how I miss the days where I would belt to my various playlists in the car. Here I have no car, and on top of that, I am too embarrassed to belt out my favorite jams in my dorm room. Therefore my singing is restricted until I venture home.

Homesickness is unavoidable.

For weeks I was surprised at just how much I was loving my new life and did not miss home one bit (sorry mom). Then suddenly the "one month away from home" mark struck and homesickness hit me like a freight train. But fortunately for me, a Columbus native, Athens is not far from home. And thanks to technology, we have FaceTime and other mediums that allow us to stay connected to those we miss.

Appreciate those you meet.

Appreciate those friends who you keep closer; they are the ones to comfort you, keep you laughing and deal with you on your worst days. Appreciate those in your major; they will be come great connections, and later could be working with you or you could be working for them. Appreciate your professors, even if you dislike them; their class is just one step in your journey to the rest of your life.

College is a roller coaster, which for the most part has been mainly highs opposed to lows in my experiences. But I have come to appreciate every aspect and everyone along the way. Each day I am learning, growing and shaping up for the life ahead of me. But for now, it's just the beginning.