The last four months of my life have been a complete whirlwind. I left my small town of two stoplights, a FasMart, and a Bojangles, said goodbye to my best friends and moved to a completely new place where I knew very few people.

On top of that, I was greeted by these two overly excited college students who called themselves "FrOGs" (Side note: my hall had the best FrOGs ever). I have come a long way since move-in day, and, even though I have a long way to go (because I am still just a freshie after all), I feel that I have had a lot of personal growth and have learned so many things, aside from what I learned while listening to professors in giant lecture halls.

Sleep is important.

Looking back on high school, I have absolutely no idea how I survived. From waking up to be at school by 7 a.m., and doing sports and extracurricular activities in addition to 8-hour school days, I am convinced my nonexistent sleep schedule took years off my life. Now, I get more sleep than I have in years, and, I will admit, I sometimes had trouble waking up for my 10 a.m. class this semester. I have also learned that sometimes getting plenty of sleep is more helpful than staying up all night studying.

I am so thankful that I have more time to sleep because I feel much healthier than I ever have before.

Being healthy isn't always easy.

I was very active in high school; from cross country and track, and many hours of dance, I had no choice but to stay in shape. Now, I am not on any sports teams, so finding time to stay in shape is my own responsibility. Also, thanks to JMU Dining, I could eat pizza, chicken nuggets, and dessert every single day if I wanted to (in love with chicken nugget Thursdays) I've learned that you must limit yourself, have self-control, and be conscious of whether your diet is balanced and healthy.

In addition to physical health, mental health is also important. There are so many things to do and ways to get involved in addition to your classes and workload here at JMU. However, it is SO important not to get too over-scheduled, because it is very important to take time for yourself to keep a healthy mindset and lifestyle.

Most professors aren't as intimidating as everyone says.

Before I came to college, I had an expectation of professors to be very difficult to work with, and mostly unconcerned with the success of their students. While much more responsibility is put on college students than high school students, and I didn't exactly 'love' all of my professors, I have overall had a better experience than I expected. Most of my professors have been kind, caring and supportive of their students, and as students, we need to remember that they are human, too.

Adulting is hard.

This semester, I have:

Changed my major

Applied and been hired to a job

Signed a lease and paid a deposit to live in a house next year

College is hard, not only because of the workload but because there are SO many things to do on top of that. We are expected to have a good GPA, while also being involved at our school to build our resume, learning how to live on our own, and, all the while, figuring out how we are going to pay for all of this (#broke). Adulting. Is. Hard.

College is where best friends are found.

While my best friends at home are still a very important of my life (doesn't everyone have that best friend from home that they call and talk to for hours?), I have made some wonderful friendships with people who were complete strangers just a few short months ago, and I know these people are going to be friends for life. Taking on all of the challenges that college brings is truly a bonding experience.

JMU really is the Happiest Place on Earth.

From throwing streamers at football games, to enjoying sometimes a little too much food at E-hall brunch, to taking lots of workout classes at UREC, to simply staring in awe at the beautiful mountainous views that surround our campus, I have made so many happy memories at JMU, and I can't wait for many more.

Go Dukes!