Dear Second Semester Freshmen,

You're an old pro by now. You have a semester and a half of college under your belt. However, you still have years stretching ahead of you, with unexplored classes and dreams on the horizon.

It feels like you'll be in college forever, and that day you walk with a mortarboard on your head and diploma in hand will never come.

I was in your shoes just four years ago. Days intertwined with classes and beach trips, staying up late laughing hysterically, pranking other freshmen, seemed like they would always last. I couldn't imagine college coming to a close. How would I ever become an adult?

Now that I'm on the other side of it, barely three months from wearing a cap and gown, I find myself wishing I had savored those days more instead of wishing them away.

I miss the freedom and fun of my first year of college. I don't regret spending time on academics, of course, but I wish I'd spent more time being with people while staying on top of my schoolwork.

So, Trinity freshmen, or whatever college you're at, savor these days. Savor your time in Johnson. Take advantage of the free time you have now (because believe me, the amount of free time decreases per year in college) and use it to build your relationships.

The friendships you're forging right now will hopefully carry you through graduation day, and beyond. You'll be able to pick up like you just saw each other hours ago as opposed to years.

Use your time now to plan your future too. Think about things you like doing and what you can see yourself doing in a job one day. You've still got time to change your major. If you're unhappy with it now, you have time to change it or add an emphasis.

Don't worry about finding a boyfriend or girlfriend, if you're single. I wish I hadn't spent so much time agonizing over why no boys seemed to like me. It wasn't that boys weren't interested in me, but the Lord directed me toward singleness, and because of that, I was able to spend far more time investing in other people and in my leadership groups. I still want a relationship, of course, but it doesn't consume my being like it used to.

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your semester, and rest of college years!