Well. That's it.

Freshman year of college. Gone.

Isn't it crazy how it feels like we moved into our dorms yesterday? We nervously sat in our seats at our first 300-person lecture. We wandered around the dining halls, not knowing where anything was.

Now, our rooms are cluttered with memories, we are best friends with the people from that 300-person lecture, and we sit in class thinking about what we're going to eat at our favorite dining hall after we're dismissed.

Freshman year, you have given me so much. You gave me some of the greatest people I've ever met, you challenged me, you taught me to take chances, and you showed me how strong I really am.

But it's not just me.

You helped a lot of people. From a lot of different schools. From a lot of different interests.

You impact people without even realizing it. You teach them lessons they didn't know they needed.

"One thing that I learned is that it's OK to be alone sometimes and sometimes it's a good thing to be alone. I was always someone who had to do things with people, but college has given me a lot of free time for studying and just being with myself and learning a lot about myself." — Hannah Lesniak, Nursing Major, James Madison University

"There is an opportunity everywhere you go. You just have to find it." — Griffin Devine, Psychology and Economics Double Major with a Classics Minor, Loyola Marymount University

"There are people you haven't met yet that are going to love and cherish you." — Sydney McNeil, Theatre Major, James Madison University

"I did not expect my college professors to be as open-minded as they are. They seem to still have an appetite for learning which is really refreshing to see. They are constantly wishing to be aware of what is going on at the forefront of our culture and are willing to learn from students and having such open-mindedness has really allowed me to enjoy going to my classes." — Josh Mathew, Music Production Major with a Music Business Minor, Berklee College of Music

"It's OK to not be OK." — Amy Musselman, Anthropology Major with a Theatre Minor, James Madison University

"It's OK to step outside your comfort zone even with something that you may not be good at. I completely stepped outside my comfort zone with some things and then wished I did more of that." — Helena Digney, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Double Major, Connecticut College

Freshman year, I'm sad to see you go — we all are. You saw us at our worst, at our best, and at our normal, and you supported us through all of it. There were times when some of us wanted to give up on you — like, really give up — but you always provided little glimmers of hope when things got rough. You taught us lessons that we'll carry with us forever.

Seriously. Thank you for everything.