9. Brown University (Rhode Island)

Many times in college we have events that make us question our faith. Growing up in a predominantly southern christian town at a public high school where the teachers were pretty open about their beliefs and most students were involved in a church, or at least claimed to be Christian, it was really hard to be faced with opposite views this first year at a public university. I have never had a reason to question my faith, until questions were posed to me that made me discover a new level of faith. When a professor who has their Ph.D. and seems to have worlds of knowledge, but they clearly disapprove of what you believe, it can rock your world. It seemed like all odds were put against me as three of my professors and classes were challenging what I believed about literally everything. The very foundation of who I am. This semester instead of feeling farther from God, I feel so much closer and more in awe because of these classes that were put in place to rattle me, but proved to rattle me into a deeper level of amazement with the world around me.

Last summer, I took a week-long trip to Paris. A close friend from high school invited me to stay with her in the apartment she was renting for the summer. I spent my week touring, exploring, dining, and shopping—all the expected wonderful things. But there was one day that showed me what I had never understood about that clichéd magic of Paris.

I'm here to talk about one thing that we all know is true: why fall semester is arguably the best semester. Here is a list of ten reasons why fall semester is the greatest thing known to undergrads.

The question everyone asks is "Why?" Why did the chicken cross the road? Why did I buy that? But the most dangerous "why," the why that breaks us down and makes us overthink, is when we ask ourselves "why" after a breakup or heartache. Why me? Why now? Why did this happen? Why after all this time do I still feel this hurt? Why. Why. Why.