Wow. My freshman year of college has come to a close.

The curtains have been drawn. Nine months ago, I would have never imagined myself in the place I am now. Life has changed so much. New adventures, new stories to tell, new people in my life, it all seems so unreal.

Not only have I developed a new outlook on my health, have relationships come and gone, have I learned how to play an instrument, and have I gained so much more knowledge on how to function for myself, but my perspective of life and what it is about has changed completely. I am so much more open-minded to new ideas, people, and ways of life. I’m not as narrow-minded as I once was about the way people live their lives. I guess I finally realized that we can all still be friends and continue to love one another even if we may choose to live different lifestyles.

In high school, is easy to become close-minded when surrounded by people just like you.

In college, however, everyone is so different and comes from various walks of life. To me, that is what makes life so beautiful.

After being immersed in college, I now look at the bigger scheme of things in life. There is so much more to this life than what most people get out of it. I have a stronger desire to get as much out of this life as I can. This is super cliché, but it is so important to make the most out of every opportunity given to you.

My freshman year taught me to not get so caught up in the stresses of tests, assignments, or financial issues, and to have fun with your friends and make memories.

Another thing my freshman year taught me is to not fret about changing your major. Honestly, most everyone does it. It’s totally okay and normal, we are young and our minds change, it happens. When deciding upon a major, something I heard a lot was "the possibilities are endless," which may seem like a motivational quote, but to me, that is just an overwhelming statement. If the possibilities are endless, how in the world and I supposed to chose ONE career? I struggled with listening to solely the input of others rather than listening to myself and what I want for my future.

Ultimately, this taught me that no one can decide your life for you, the best judge of character for you is yourself. Do what makes you happy.

Aside from my fickleness and not having a clue where to take my life, freshman year was honestly a great experience and I wouldn’t take any of it back. Every single person I became friends with is so special to me and I wouldn’t trade any of them for the world. It’s so true that the people you meet in college feel like they have been lifelong friends, even though have only known them for a few short months. It is so strange to me how I could have never imagined being friends with these people in high school, but I could never imagine my life without them now. They have all taught me how to view life with a wider mindset and through the eyes of many different lifestyles. It is so interesting to still relate to someone that doesn’t think exactly like you. They have also taught me to live a little and stay up late and that it is okay to do stupid things sometimes, cause heck, that’s what memories are made of.

All in all, freshman year was a time of growth, maturity, heartbreak, tears, confusion, happiness, love, and friendship; even through all the difficult times, I would never change anything for the good that came from all of it.