Dear First Semester,

To be honest, I didn't know what to think of you when I was first sitting in my shoebox of a dorm, contemplating the long months of college ahead of me.

You were a daunting prospect; everyone I knew back home told me you were supposed to be the best few months of my life. How were you ever going to live up to my (and everyone else's) expectations? Somehow, though, you ended up giving me the most unexpectedly fun and amazing four months of my life.

And along the way, you taught me lessons and gave me experiences I will cherish for a lifetime.

Thank you for teaching me that it's okay to make mistakes and experience failure once in a while (or several times...oops).

College is so much different from high school, especially academically, and through you, I learned that it's okay to not make an A on every single test or assessment. In fact, it's not even common. Classes are difficult and professors can be brutal, but somehow I came out alive.

Thank you for introducing me to so many incredible people in such a short amount of time.

Whether it's through my sorority, my hall, or my classes, I've met the most interesting, funny, and kind human beings in college. Don't even get me started on my friends. I've never felt so supported, loved, or happy with a group of people.

Thank you for helping me to branch out of my comfort zone.

It's so hard to go from a comfortable and safe high school bubble to the insane, free-for-all that is going to college. Through you, I learned how to strike up a conversation with anyone and be open to trying new things, two skills I was severely lacking in before this school year. Although it can be tiring to constantly be socializing (who knew?), it's really helped me to be able to walk into a new class or club meeting and instantly make conversation.

Finally, thank you for confirming to me that I could not have chosen a better school.

Several times throughout these past four months, I thought about how I couldn't imagine myself being anywhere else and how I could have looked at any other college when this one was the obvious choice. I am so grateful to attend the University of Georgia and wouldn't change it for the world.

So, farewell, first semester. You will be missed.