Dear College,

You've seen generations of students: your eyes only know higher education, financial aid and Greek life. People grow tired of you so often and they decide when they are done. But you are so unappreciated. If it weren't for you, my life would be nowhere and I would do nothing.

Thank you for the people I've met. My freshman roommate, who was always down to talk s*** about other people, my RA, who watched over us little freshmen, my fourth floor floormates (long live the turn up floor and the ratchetness we got into) my liberal studies cohort, and for all the terrible professors we've had. We survived and we're so close to finishing, the professors I've had, my lazy landlord, who indirectly taught me how to change a lightbulb and not die, just to name a few.

Thank you for teaching me new music genres. If it weren't for almost every person I've met in college, I would still be listening to mainstream pop and rap and be oblivious to every other genre. Because of you, I can proudly say I love country, EDM, alternative and classical music.

Thank you for making me uncomfortable. From moving 300 miles away from home and forcing myself to meet people to having back-to-back projects and assignments, you've taught me how to grow, especially with social skills and time management.

Thank you for transitioning me into the real world. I started to see the value of a dollar, what it takes to have clean laundry and food at home, and paying bills every month, but I'm not completely on my own just yet.

Thank you for teaching me to appreciate everything and everyone. Every assignment means I have the privilege of going to college, every bill I have to pay means I have a home and every filled sink means I have eaten. Every person has their own deal of struggles.

Thank you for changing my thought process. I've become less concerned with my thoughts and learned to look from other perspectives. I learned to be more open-minded and it's made life more understandable.

I feel like I've done most of my learning and growing in my past three years here at college. And with that, I owe you my success and honor.

Truly,

A College Student