As senior year approaches, it's hard to tell whether first semester freshman year feels like just yesterday or forever ago. From adjusting the way we approached studying to the countless $5 we wasted going to frat parties, the first semester of college brought a lot of changes and taught a lot of lessons.

The First Weekend

The first weekend was filled with random frat parties, lanyards around necks, and being back in bed before midnight. One of the most memorable things about my first night out was hearing some guy yell at me (and the group of fifteen other freshmen I was with), "Hey 95ers, take the lanyards off your neck!" Also, this is the weekend most of us realized Ramen noodles would become one of our main food groups over the next four years.

The First Week

When I sat down in my very first college class with 200 other students led by a professor who introduced herself as "doctor," I realized that maybe college wouldn't be a cakewalk after all. My syllabi were filled with assignments ranging from weekly quizzes and tests to one daunting four-page, double-spaced essay at the very, very, very end of the semester.

The First Test

The night before my first college test, I was in bed watching Netflix before 11 o'clock. I did not study in the least bit. As far as I was concerned, since I didn't have to study in high school, I'd be perfectly fine if I didn't study now. Needless to say, I couldn't have been more wrong, and I ended up being the last person to leave the 200-person lecture hall (and I still only got a C).

The First Load of Laundry

Several weeks into the semester and even more flights of stairs later, the first load of laundry finally got done.

The First Skip

The danger of freshmen having the ability to skip classes without consulting their parents is all too real. "You will drop a letter grade for every absence after three" sounds like more of a suggestion, right?

Midterms

After getting my first test grade back, I thought it wise to study a little (or a lot) more for my midterms so I pulled an all-nighter making and studying some colorful flashcards. Hint: Not a good idea to only study for one night before an exam.

Finals

Finally, just in time for my first semester to end, I got a little better with the whole studying and budgeting my time thing. I even made it to the library a few times in the near-freezing weather to study and write my terrifying four-page final paper. Third time's a charm, I guess.