Ever since I was a child, I never saw myself attending FSU. Having older siblings that have gone here, I've visited the campus numerous times and have been to plenty of games, but I always came with a blind eye towards the beauty of FSU.

It wasn't until senior of high school when the college application process started that I began to think about the possibility of attending FSU. I knew that I would apply just to have it as an option, but I never thought that it would become my very soon future. As people began revealing if they had gotten in or not, I nervously checked to see if this could be a new possibility, and as you can tell, I got in. I had only applied to two colleges so there weren't many choices when I had only gotten into one. After receiving the heartbreak of not getting into the college that I had always been told that I should be going, I knew that FSU was my only option left.

That may sound bad, but I had just always believed that I would be attending a different school, so I had never pictured myself in Tallahassee. I never pictured myself being a Seminole. I never pictured myself bleeding garnet and gold. Before I realized I would be attending FSU, I had hoped to attend a school where I didn't know a lot of people. While I was aware that FSU had a large campus, the idea of having so many people from my graduating class, as well as previous classes, attend FSU really reinforced my decision to get away. I was so close-minded to the fact that FSU has so many opportunities that I could explore and branch off into.

Starting my first semester with the Summer C semester brought a mix of emotions. What if I didn't like the school? What if I didn't excel in college like I did in high school? What if I couldn't make friends? A million more questions consumed my thoughts on the car ride up. I kept my doubts bottled up since I didn't have any other option. As I arrived at my dorm, the nerves began to creep up as I met my new roommates. What if they didn't like me? What if we didn't get along? The only reassurance that I had was that it was only 6 weeks, I could handle that.

It probably took about 2 weeks where I finally began to feel like a real college student. I was making my own decisions. I was able to finally be myself, instead of having to put up a mask. As I started to form a friend group, it felt like I had finally felt like my life was coming together.

As Fall semester crept up, the nerves had begun all over again. This was the true test of how I would react toward college. It was a long time away from home and many more credits to take. When I had a falling out with some friends from the summer, it allowed me to explore new possibilities that were offered. The new semester brought up new challenges that I had never faced before, but that's just part of the experience of growing up.

Now that I am starting my first Spring semester, I cannot imagine myself anywhere else. Walking around campus, I cannot fathom the beauty of the campus. It's something that I will never get sick of. There are so many people that I have met here that are so welcoming and so nice. You can tell that the professors really love what they are doing and are always trying to help their students do the best that they can. Even though I had tried to get away from high school, there are still some people with me, and I am so thankful for that because now I can see these people grow into new people and see how FSU has changed their life as well.

So, thank you FSU, you have shown me what a true college experience should be like and I am so grateful that I am able to be a part of a community where people love where they are, and one last thing, Go Noles!