It's May and that means the spring semester is winding down for college kids across America. Stress levels are at an all time high and summer fever seems to be rather contagious. For me, this semester has been one for the books (the text books that is). As I finish up my sophomore year, I have come to learn how much work college truly requires. This semester, I learned the true definition of a busy schedule. If I wasn't in class, at work, or in a meeting, I was busy with homework or a group project. I breathed, slept, and ate school (literally sometimes I would get to 8 o'clock at night having only ate a granola bar all day). In this final stretch, I find myself reflecting on the various tests I've endured this year. Well there have been plenty of exams in the classroom, the truly important lessons were learned outside it. This semester has tested me in every way possible and taught me some pretty important things about life. Here are just a few of the life tests I've taken these past months:

1. The test of strength

It isn't easy being a full-time student. It requires 110% effort,110% of the time. This semester taught me to be strong, whether it be pushing through that extra hour of studying or to resist the one million distractions on my phone. It showed me to be strong for myself and for those around me, to offer support for the people in your life. Life, like college, is not walk in the park. But the test of strength shows us how truly strong we are.

2. The test of patience

Waiting has never been my strong suit, I'm not sure it's really anyone's. This semester taught me to be patient, to be OK with not seeing immediate results. I learned that's it's OK to not do amazing on your first test, but that it's important to always improve. I learned to be patient with myself as I learned and to be patient with others as we worked together.

3. The test of time

If anything, college has a way of making time disappear. There never seems to be enough hours in a day to get everything done. And when 3 AM rolls around, it's not easy to stay motivated. This semester taught me the importance of time management and showed me what an all-nighters looks like. But this semester also taught me to devote my time to the things I love, to develop relationships that truly matter. If you're not doing what you love, what's the point anyways?

4. The test of faith

This test is definitely the most important of them all. This semester, with all the stress and hardships it brought, showed me to rely on my faith. I needed to have faith in myself, to believe that I could accomplish my goals. But in a greater sense, I needed to lean on my faith in God. When I was wholly overwhelmed, praying for help proved to be the only neccessity. This semester helped me to develop my faith relationship in a BIG way, and that's pretty darn cool.

This semester has been crazy, beautiful, and tough, all rolled into 4 short months. All of its tests taught me a little bit about myself and a lot about life. And I for one, can't wait to see what's in store for the next one!