So..... I MADE IT! I made it through finals week. There were days where I was up until ungodly hours of the morning, there were days I was considering if I made the right decision to come to college, and there were days where I did not know how it was going to end, but I made it!

And as I sit in my dorm room cleaning and saying goodbye to my college family for three weeks, there are a lot of thoughts on my mind.

So I thought I would share those thoughts with you. It is kind of crazy how fast time goes by, and as I sit here half way through my senior year, I feel like I just got here to college. As I think about my collegiate career, there is one thing that I have been equipped to do for the rest of my life—to be a lifelong learner. Sure, I have learned skills in my major, and learned specific things to prepare me for the job field, but I have learned to....well......learn.

As I contemplate my time in college, warm thoughts and memories fill my head and these are things I will never forget. However, the best gift the teachers could have given me is the one I got— to receive the gift of learning. In approaching graduation, frequent questions I am asked are:

" What are you doing with your life?" ( I don't know yet, so please be patient).

" Are you going to miss college?" ( Of course, this was the best time of my life).

"Are you tired of school?"

To answer this last one, I will not miss the paper's or tests one I graduate, but I am thankful that I have been taught to learn for myself past my time in school.

For example, I am studying to be a minister, and one thing I am so excited about is the fact that I will be able to learn about the bible as my job. Through my time at college, I have realized that our Christian duty is to learn in the name of Jesus and He wants us to do our best. So as I think back on finals week, sure it is tiring, stressful, and so many other things, but it is amazing what your mind can do when you put it to the test.

In my time in these last four years, I have learned some skills, but that has mainly come from my experience in ministry. However, I have inherited on how to learn for the rest of my life, and that is something I will forever be grateful for.