As my senior year begins, I find myself looking back on freshman year and all of the emotions and memories I experienced and made during that time. Though three years removed from freshman orientation, my recollections of that day are still vivid. I wonder, as I sit here typing this, what the current class of incoming freshmen are thinking. They won't be on campus until Sunday, but I'm sure their anticipation is building. What they probably don't realize, in the haze of excitement and nerves, is that in coming to Hillsdale, they are about to not only learn a lot in the classroom, but outside the classroom as well.

My first night at Hillsdale was exciting, to say the least, but also left me with a mix of emotions. I was thrilled at the prospect of greater freedom, and a chance to prove myself, while at the same time scared to say goodbye to my parents and anxious about making friends. I remember feeling quite proud of myself that I didn't cry when my mom kissed me goodbye, but I'll be honest and admit that I wanted to.

The freshmen were herded off to a slew of activities in just the first few hours, and for many of us, I believe that helped take our minds off our homesickness, at least for a little while. However, by the time the many activities of the first few days were done, I realized that I didn't miss home quite as much as I thought I would.

I remember falling in love with Hillsdale College almost immediately. Everyone seemed so nice, the people at the school shared many of the same beliefs and opinions that I held, and there seemed to be a niche for everyone. I recall, that naively, I posted something on Facebook not long after the first few weeks. I complementing the manners and general kindheartedness of the student body in its entirety. Though most of the people I've come across at this school are great, there is no such thing as the perfect college, and I have met people who aren't the nicest.

All-in-all, I would say that freshman year was definitely fueled by a significant amount of trial and error, both academically and socially. I probably wouldn't do anything over again, because the experiences I had, both bad and good, needed to happen. They toughened me up, taught me to work harder, and showed me what it meant to be a good friend and a good person. So, class of 2020, cherish every moment, even the negative ones, because in the end you'll come out stronger and smarter.