Let’s be honest, year one of college is strange.

You graduate high school and spend the next two months living it up with your high school besties, packing and relaxing. Then it hits you; college move-in day is in two days, and if you are like me, you don’t know anyone that you are about to spend the next year with. I had no clue who I was going to eat lunch with, where my classes were, or how I was going to survive the next year.

Fast forward to the day of move in, a few tears were shed as my parents pulled out of the parking lot and then, I was all alone. I was petrified. How in the world am I supposed to make friends at a university where I know absolutely no one? Who am I going to go eat dinner with because I for sure am not eating alone! Well, ladies and gents, that’s why they give you roommates. Thank goodness for my first-semester roommate who ate lunch with me, made late night grocery store runs, and explored campus with me.

Then something happened; my roommate and I didn’t really hang out anymore. She found another group of friends and I was stuck still trying to find my own group. I decided to find ways to get involved on campus, that might help me make some friends right? It would push me out of my box and allow me to broaden my involvement on campus. I decided to rush a sorority.

Rushing a sorority really helped me find my place on campus. After rushing and finding my place in Zeta Tau Alpha, I instantly became apart of a family. Girls welcomed me in and made me feel like it was okay to be 100% me. I was able to then meet my best friend and new roommate.

Slowly, but surely, the whole friend making process started to become easier. I felt comfortable inviting random people in my class to eat lunch with me and I even reached out to people I had never met. On top of meeting friends and sisters, I became very involved in my sorority and became the first freshman on Executive Council. So much can happen if you just take a leap of faith.

Throughout the next few weeks, I would meet two more amazing people that I would soon call my best friends. Kay and Ravyn would complete my first "official girl gang" along with my roommate Loren. We would spend the next few months giggling about boys, going on Prime dates, and doing each others hair and makeup (something I never did back home). I finally felt like I had found my place at school and found my group of people.

But life happens and things come up

I would learn that my two best friends would be transferring next year. While it hit hard I knew our friendship would never fail. I know we will continue to stay in touch and see each other when we can. College has its ups and downs but you just have to push through it and know that everything happens for a reason.

Getting used to a college schedule was not easy. Freshman year taught me a lot more about time management. From pulling all-nighters to waking up for my 7:50, my schedule really never got easier, but prioritizing my schedule did. From meetings for my sorority to studying for exams and even the occasional lecture, I learned what was going to better my future and what wasn’t. I also realized how many amazing opportunities High Point University offers to its students. Freshman year has definitely taught me how to find those opportunities and make the most of them.

Being a very independent person, I figured freshman year would be easy because I didn’t really need anyone to tell me what to do (thanks pageants and traveling for two years straight) but much to my surprise, freshman year brought me so many challenges.

Learning how to cope with being sick without mom or dad to take care of you, pushing through a bad day without a hug from your mom, and making a silly mistake without your dad chirping something funny in your ear.

Basically learning how to function without the people who raised you for 18 years is a struggle no matter what. Having to deal with your own emergencies like when your window gets stuck and it starts to pour outside, or your windshield cracks...wait, now that I think of it freshman year brought me a lot of car troubles too.

Needless to say, freshman year is nothing but a learning year. It is your time to branch out and try something new, eat a little unhealthy, make new friends, meet new people, study hard, shed a few tears, and most importantly make millions of memories. You can reinvent yourself or continue building on the amazing person you are, it is all up to you. As long as you are staying true to yourself there is nothing stopping!

I am sad to see this year go, and I know I am going to miss seeing my friends every day for lunch dates and every thursday for movie night. But I do know that Sophomore year will be yet another amazing learning experience and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.

So thank you freshman year for teaching me to make mistakes, try something new, and open up. I couldn’t have done it without you.