At the close of the year, after the stress of final exams and term papers, I am finally able to properly reflect on the past nine months of my life. My sophomore year at Liberty University was a whirlwind – I got my first job, served as a community group leader, and moved out of my parents house. I learned a lot of lessons during this time, and I'd like to share the three biggest ones with you.

1. Life is more important than your grades

Hard work, diligence, and time management are great values and skills to develop at university. Grades are, unfortunately, critical to your future success. As a government student, I'm acutely aware of this – several agencies and offices won't look twice at your resume if your GPA is less than 3.5. Although we hear it all the time, we often brush this truth aside: there is so much more to life than our textbooks. After living in the library my entire freshman year, my best friend taught me how to be adventurous. Whether those adventures are random road trips to D.C. or just a run to Bojangles, I've learned to live life rather than allow myself to drown in projects and papers. I put aside homework a lot, because building lasting relationships with my friends was far more important than spending an extra thirty minutes on an assignment.

2. Don't chase people.

I've been a follower my whole life. I've followed friends in to ridiculous situations, chased after people who I admired, and pursued relationships when it should have clear that there wouldn't be one. But I'm tired of chasing. Over the past school year, I learned that if a person doesn't want to be with you, let it go. Give the situation to God. If you feel the need to chase someone, the relationship will not be the best for either person.

Please don't misunderstand what I’m saying here. Be brave. Put yourself out there. Build bridges and make new friends. There are times when we are called to reach out to others, and to serve them with all of our hearts. But when you find yourself asking more questions than you are receiving answers, or if you are on the receiving end of multiple excuses to not hang out, maybe it's time to take a step back. Re-evaluate the relationship, and if it is toxic or one-sided, don't chase them. Certain people are meant to be in our lives for a reason, and those who matter won't need to be persuaded to stay.

3. Be intentional.

My sophomore year was a season of starting over, leaving the past year behind and beginning everything anew. This ultimately led to having very few connections with people or groups on campus. While it's seemingly obvious, I had to realize that opportunities don’t just fall in your lap or appear out of thin air. As terrifying as it might seem, anything good must be fought for, and being intentional is the key. When I found myself without close relationships, I had to seek them out - a major struggle for this introvert. Those friendships won't build themselves. When I became a commuter student, and therefore out of touch from campus life, I had to learn how to get involved. Start by setting goals and finding realistic ways to achieve them. If you want something, or want to spark change, make an effort and go for it.

Sophomore year was filled with ups and downs, hurt and comfort, and more drama than my entire middle and high school careers. Yet God revealed Himself to me in so many ways over the last nine months, and I am so excited to see what He will do next year.