Recalling fall of last year, I originally came into Rutgers scared of the amount of change that college would bring to my life. And, that fear and nerves, thankfully translated into excitement and anticipation- for all the new people I was going to meet and all the new experiences that were bound to come. And, when first couple of weeks didn't pan out well- when my roommate and I were trapped on the weekend bus for 2 hours because we didn't understand how it worked, being drenched by torrential pouring during freshman convocation, and missing the football game because we couldn't buy tickets- all these bad experience seem like tragic and depressing situations. And, several times in and out, college proved that it was going to live up to that shitty first expectation. However, with overwhelming optimism, I trudged through- we all just trudged through.

And, just like that first semester really wasn't that bad. There were only some minor adjustments that needed to be made to my work ethic, workload load, and time management skills. It was the closest college seemed to get to smooth sailing. But, rougher waters were in store for me during my second semester, when classes became more time consuming, and there became difficult to find exactly where I belonged in Rutgers or my life. Little things chip and chip away at you until you need to sit back and reassess what is going on.

However, what I can say about the summary of this year is that it did end on a good note. I am glad to say (although it took a long time), now, I know I have finally established a really good group of friends. My only hope is that the awesome memories made during freshman year never leave me, and the more unkind memories fade over time. And, I definitely do not regret how much I did get myself involved in Rutgers through various clubs and activities like BASE (Business Analytics for Supply Chain Expertise), Rutgers Odysessy, Part-time Working for Kilmer's Market or Rutgers Ballroom Dancing club. I did things I never thought I would ever do, and this whole entire year seemed like risks that just happened to work out for my benefit in the long run. And, I suck at ballroom dancing, but there's so much room for improvement that three more years will definitely change. And, for anyone who is still struggling to find out what major they should do, I really suggest that you join various clubs and activities around campus. Starting off with signing up for EVERYTHING you can at the involvement fair. And, I. MEAN. EVERYTHING. Especially as a business student that didn't know what she was doing at first, it is a great opportunity to just join and go to a couple of meetings. If the club or activity is not for you, you should leave. But, don't knock it till you try it.

My general advice for those of y'all coming in or still living through college is to just go for anything that you want to do. But, keep in mind rejection might be at the doorstep. Life and the real world displayed in college that it is necessary to develop that thicker upper layer. However, know that if you fail here, it's okay, there's so much more places you are going to fail. And, so many more places you will succeed. And, if people in life didn't fail, it just makes success less valuable. And, for those stinging rejections that seem to permanently haunt you, know that the only thing that can fix that is the remedy of a little bit of time and the strength to move forward, no matter how daunting.

And, also, remember to designate some alone time, which is super important because college is a series of interactions and running around to class, clubs, or work. It can get hectic and even if you aren't talking to people necessarily in each setting, it is SUPPERRR nice just to lay back once in a while and be ABSOLUTELY Alone. It helps recharge and being by yourself is sometimes a luxury if one has a roommate. From worrying about making friends or fitting in, to having a group of great friends that would surprise me on my birthday (a week before finals week), is more than I could have ever asked for.

After this year, I feel like I aged 10 years. College seems to put a real-world perspective on life, where independence is key and no one is there to hold anyone's hand. It is your life and your life only. And, that's just so crazy to think high school was only last year.And, although there were some points in time that I wished for freshman year to be over, I appreciated everything that happened this year.

And, although some of my floormates were crazy, I really think I'm going to miss my weed-smelling dorm and all of its memories. But, what I won't miss is that this semester has also been the first time I failed a test in YEARS. And, I have statistics for business to thank for that.