Well, Odyssey, it's May, and you know what that means! That means - wait. Drop everything. I just realized something. I just had my last week of classes. I only have one day on Monday, and then I'm done with my second semester and the first year of college.

.

I honestly can't believe I made it this far. I still feel like a high school student. I guess I should list the biggest challenges I think I've overcome this year.

1. Being INDEPENDENT

This is literally the second time I've lived anywhere without my parents for more than a day, and the first time was a college prep summer camp. I've had to learn how to feed myself on a regular basis, do all my own laundry, and get a decent amount of sleep. It wasn't really that hard to do that; I've handled all my necessities of life with moderate success.

2. Classes, and the work associated

The classes in college were many times more interesting than most anything I took in high school. However, the workload in those classes was almost overwhelming, with a homework item due almost every day, not to mention long-term projects. Although I had trouble getting things together earlier in the year, I now can handle the work that is thrown at me. Most of the time.

3. The social morass

Social life in college is one of the most confusing things about the entire experience, even for people who don't struggle in those regards. I had my share of social drama, having to switch roommates as well as wrangle some sort of housing arrangement for next year, as well as avoid my natural tendencies to be a recluse. I think everything went pretty well; I made at least one friend here, who is now my boyfriend. Life is good.

4. THAT ONE CLASS

In both semesters of college, there was always that one class that frustrated and stressed me out beyond any reasonable measure. Either the content was non-challenging or non-intuitive, or the professor's teaching methods were unclear or not engaging. Whatever the cause, that one class was responsible for most of the texts home out of frustration and late nights of stress and despair. But I got through it, knowing that one day, the class would be over. Besides, I did end up learning something from those classes, even if I loathed them.

It's amazing to see how far I've come. I'll be headed home in a week or so, right after I ... finish ... finals ...

... I may have jumped the gun on this one.