Dear future freshman Miltonite,

You are about to begin one of the most amazing journeys that you will experience in your lifetime. You have been given the privilege of living in the honors dormitory during your freshmen year at TCU. Furthermore, your hard work in high school helped you achieve the goal of becoming part of the top 10 percent of your class.

My journey to living in Milton began in December 2013. After I had taken my last final and all my professors had put my grades in, I found out that I had made a 3.5 GPA. The amount of time I committed during my first semester of my freshman year at Texas Christian University to academics was worth it. During the 2013-14 school year, if you were not part of the Honors College, you had to make at least a 3.5 GPA to be eligible. I wanted to become part of the TCU Honors experience because of my drive to always go the extra mile. Therefore, I applied to become part of the TCU Honors College and I was accepted.

During my second semester at TCU, I had to decide where I was going to live during my sophomore year. I could not live in Colby Hall again because one, Colby was undergoing renovations and two, Colby was a freshman-only dorm. I immediately set my sights to Milton Daniel, the Honors residence hall, because some of my friends told me that both upperclassmen and freshmen were allowed to live in that dorm.

The only time I had visited Milton was during freshman orientation. I immediately fell in love with how beautiful the inside of the residence hall looked. As soon as the applications for living in Milton opened up, I completed mine. A few weeks later, the Honors College notified me that I would be living in Milton Daniel during the 2014-15 school year.

This year will be my third and final year living in Milton Daniel. Some of the reasons that I have decided to live in Milton for multiple years are:

1. The sense of community.

The friendships that are formed between freshmen and upperclassmen are unique. We upperclassmen will serve as mentors and supporters for you. We will have your back during your highest and lowest moments. We will be there to give you advice and help you to go the distance. Furthermore, the camaraderie between the upperclassmen living on the third floor is tight. Many of my friends at TCU are just a few doors away. I have found that if I need help on my music theory homework (for example), I can just go to my friend's room down the hall.

On Wednesday nights, you can choose to take a two-hour vacation from your studying. Many of us Miltonites meet up in the third-floor lounge to watch a Disney movie, eat some snacks and drink up some Welch's Grape Juice. It's a great time to catch up and cool off, since the middle of the week can be especially stressful and hectic.

2. The convenience.

Milton is close to every place that I frequently visit: the music building, the library, the rec center, the cafeteria, the football stadium and Kroger. That means that I did not have to wake up really early in the morning to drive to my 8 a.m. class.

Milton has an oven (so you can bake to your heart's content), refrigerators and microwaves in each room, a few TVs on each floor, plenty of space to study and free laundry. As a freshman, you will receive unlimited swipes to Market Square and campus cash. If you are assigned to live on the third floor, be aware that you will not have a sink in your room; however, the friendships you will make and the adventures you will experience will make your living experience worth it.

Living in Milton has been such a blessing. I hope that you find that to be true as well and you decide to live in Milton during your upperclassmen years as well.

Sincerely,

Miku