As I viewed my second-semester grades for my freshman year of college, I couldn't help but think of all the amazing experiences and progress I made this year.

College was the scariest idea to me growing up. I knew it meant that I had to start handling adult tasks on my own, be on my own, and be away from the only place I knew as home. However, college has become a second home to me and has already given me a vast amount of opportunities I never even imagined.

This year I took classes I knew I wasn't going to like, such as human biology and required history classes, but I actually took a lot away from them, and did very well in them, even though I wasn't interested or looking forward to attending class that day. Although I'm attending Shippensburg University to study Communication/Journalism, I am adding so much more knowledge outside the field. I feel almost wiser in a way, and topics I learned in these classes outside my major have come up in the news or real world, and I can talk about them with others.

College teaches you to try your hand at everything, even if you don't necessarily want to, but I have been given opportunities and professors that encourage you to try new things, whether it be a club, attend a poetry reading, or just make a new friend. The more exposure you have to new ideas, the more you think differently.

I have met a variety of people at Shippensburg, and it has taught me how I have to pay attention to others because we all can teach each other something new. There is so much diversity out there, and sometimes we limit ourselves to our own opinions and people who share them. I learned to do the opposite, to embrace other's opinions that maybe I don't agree with, or even just mingle with people I wouldn't normally mingle.

When you learn to value all opinions, it opens up a new world of thinking, and I really learned that in my Diversity and the Media course. We all discussed our opinions on important topics of today, and it's eye-opening to hear other people's stories and thoughts.

College has taught me that I don't have to just sit through classes and get my degree, I can experience everything and anything. I am so fortunate to have attended cultural events, like poetry readings by recognized authors, and speeches by activists like B. D. Wong. I also love the school spirit events, like football games and pep rallies. Everything ties together so perfectly, and I am constantly exposed to new things.

My freshman year really taught me overall to connect with others, and use those connections to form a better version of myself. I feel more independent as a thinker, choosing what to take away from others, and taking in consideration what others think as well. College has definitely opened a new gateway for me, and a path for self-discovery that will lead me to academic and personal success. Looking back at my thoughts as a scared freshman, college doesn't seem so scary anymore to me.